Planes at 3 Airports Can Land With Satellite Aid
The first three airport approaches using the global positioning system have been issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FAA announced Tuesday that it has released the approaches for airports in Frederick, Md.; Oshkosh, Wis., and Denton, Tex.
When the government develops a GPS approach at an airport, pilots can obtain a computer chip for their GPS receiver, which then will guide them into a landing at that airport.
The satellite-based navigation system will permit pilots to land without needing any ground-based guidance, such as the radio direction systems widely used by many airports. Providing the approaches eliminates the need for ground equipment that can be costly and needs regular servicing.
FAA officials plan to issue between 500 and 1,000 new GPS approaches annually.
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