Flight safety improvements

[aaron]

A $2.5 billion project has begun in the United States which aims to develop a highly precise satellite navigation system. This is meant to open up thousands of existing runways to pilots, even in bad weather.

The development of this system could result in shorter routes, less fuel burned, less noise and a reduced impact on the environment. It is initially targeted at smaller airports that can ill-afford the estimated $2 million needed for the ground-based beacons currently used to guide runway approaches.

The current Global Positioning System signal is typically accurate to within seven to 10 meters, compared to 1 to 1.5 meters with the new system, but I don't think completion of all this is expected for a number of years yet.

Aaron
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