Flying safely with EGNOS over Europe

The aircraft that is normally used for calibrating French airport equipment was specially equipped to conduct precision approaches guided by the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). The ATR42 plane of the Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC – French Civil Aviation Authority) performed a number of test approaches and landings at Limoges airport. One of the main advantages of EGNOS in this application is that it is available everywhere without the need for ground infrastructure and it provides vertical guidance for every runway. Furthermore, in the cockpit the data display is the same as for the conventional Instrument Landing System ( ILS), so there are no familiarisation problems for the pilots and no additional training costs. EGNOS, the first European satellite navigation service, launched by the European Space Agency, the European Commission and Eurocontrol, is currently in pre-operational service and will be certified for safety-of-life applications such as civil aviation in 2008.ESApod video programme