Aviation is only a century old and yet we can hardly imagine the world being without it. The evolution in technology and scale of deployment has been quite amazing. Even if today, novelties are not so easily accepted anymore unless they have proven their safety and reliability, a lot of novelties are being worked out today and I will highlight the ones that relate to my own work in satellite communication and navigation. This is an overview blog and you would need to surf through the hyperlinks to get a complete picture.
- The introduction of GNSS satellite navigation inposition determination and trajectory prediction of planes has advanced a lot since 2012. Meanwhile we have EGNOS supported landing in many airports. Unmanned flying (RPAS) based on Satellite Navigation is already applied in the military world.
- The use of GNSS in Search and Rescue operations.
- The use of Space-based ADS-B to localise planes above oceans. This area has received a lot of interest since the loss of flight MH370.
- The introduction of internet aboard of planes is ongoing. Even if there are concerns about the use of laptop computers on board, we will see more of this in the coming years.
We have become so used of flying that we hardly look up when a plane
passes over. I remember how much I liked spotting planes at the airport while
waiting for a family member to arrive. The beauty of planes still fulfils me
with awe and wonder. I refer to my earlier blog: Gute Technik ist immer schön.
Picture 1: taken at Air and Space Smithsonian Museum Washington, DC (August 1986)
Picture 2: taken at Belem, Lisbon: Fairey 17, first plane to cross South Atlantic Ocean (August 2016)
Picture 1: taken at Air and Space Smithsonian Museum Washington, DC (August 1986)
Picture 2: taken at Belem, Lisbon: Fairey 17, first plane to cross South Atlantic Ocean (August 2016)
