Differential GPS Terminal Area Test Results

摘要

This report describes flight tests conducted by the Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) Technical Center to examine the performance of the Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) in the Terminal Area. The tests employed a Convair 580 (CV-580) and a pair of Motorola Eagle Mini Rangers. With the advent of a maturing Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation, the FAA is assuming a more intensive stance in addressing the many questions/problems associated with GPS. These DGPS tests investigated the obtainable accuracy under static and dynamic conditions. The static tests employed survey points as a baseline. The dynamic tests incorporated Terminal Area flight profiles and nonprecision approaches using a laser tracker as a base line. The accuracy performance of DGPS showed an order of magnitude improvement in the static environment and a 4-5 fold improvement in the dynamic environment over stand alone GPS. The DGPS tests were conducted in an effort to build an FAA DGPS data base to aid in addressing GPS questions/problems.