Overview of Methods of Aircraft Height Monitoring for the Safety of the Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM) Airspace

摘要

The height keeping performance of aircraft is an essential factor for the safety of the reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) airspace. The aircraft eligible for flying in the airspace must meet the minimum aircraft system performance specifications. To verify the specifications, it is necessary to investigate the height keeping error of an aircraft using a measurement system, which is independent to the airborne altimetry system. There are several kinds of methods for measuring the geometric height of aircraft. This paper first introduces the methods of existing height monitoring systems. Then some possible methods for height monitoring are discussed in this paper.