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Equipment Codes
An equipment code describes the communication (COM), navigation (NAV), approach aids and surveillance transponder equipment on board an aircraft. These alphabetic codes are used on FAA and ICAO flight plan forms to aid flight service station (FSS) personnel in their handling of aircraft. On the FAA domestic flight plan form (FAA Form 7233-1) the equipment code is a single character placed in block 3 (Aircraft Type / Special Equipment) as a suffix to the aircraft type code. A single letter is used to represent a radio navigational capability and transponder combination. On the ICAO flight plan form (e.g. FAA Form 7233-4 based on the format specified by ICAO Doc 4444) one or more alphabetic codes are placed in box 10. Multiple letters are used to describe individual radio navigational capabilities and a single letter is used to designate the transponder. The FAA began requiring the ICAO format form for domestic flights desiring RNAV routes on 29 July 2008. The ICAO format has alr ...
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Transponder
In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''. In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight transponder is an automated transceiver in an aircraft that emits a coded identifying signal in response to an interrogating received signal. In a communications satellite, a satellite transponder receives signals over a range of uplink frequencies, usually from a satellite ground station; the transponder amplifies them, and re-transmits them on a different set of downlink frequencies to receivers on Earth, often without changing the content of the received signal or signals. Satellite/broadcast communications A communications satellite’s channels are called transponders because each is a separate transceiver or repeater. With digital video data compression and multiplexing, several video and audio channels may travel through a single tr ...
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VHF Data Link
The VHF Data Link or VHF Digital Link (VDL) is a means of sending information between aircraft and ground stations (and in the case of VDL Mode 4, other aircraft) over VHF. Aeronautical VHF data links use the band 117.975–137 MHz assigned by the International Telecommunication Union to Aeronautical mobile (R) service. There are ARINC standards for ACARS on VHF and other data links installed on approximately 14,000 aircraft and a range of ICAO standards defined by the Aeronautical Mobile Communications Panel (AMCP) in the 1990s. Mode 2 is the only VDL mode being implemented operationally to support Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC). ICAO VDL Mode 1 The ICAO AMCP defined this Mode for validation purposes. It was the same as VDL Mode 2 except that it used the same VHF link as VHF ACARS so it could be implemented using analog radios before VHF Digital Radio implementation was completed. The ICAO AMCP completed validation of VDL Modes 1&2 in 1994, after which ...
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Transponder (aviation)
A transponder (short for ''trans''mitter-res''ponder'' and sometimes abbreviated to XPDR, XPNDR, TPDR or TP) is an electronic device that produces a response when it receives a radio-frequency interrogation. Aircraft have transponders to assist in identifying them on air traffic control radar. Collision avoidance systems have been developed to use transponder transmissions as a means of detecting aircraft at risk of colliding with each other. Air traffic control (ATC) units use the term "squawk" when they are assigning an aircraft a transponder code, e.g., "Squawk 7421". Squawk thus can be said to mean "select transponder code" or "squawking ''xxxx''" to mean "I have selected transponder code ''xxxx''". The transponder receives interrogation from the secondary surveillance radar on 1030 MHz and replies on 1090 MHz. Secondary surveillance radar Secondary surveillance radar (SSR) is referred to as "secondary", to distinguish it from the "primary radar" that works ...
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TACAN
A tactical air navigation system, commonly referred to by the acronym TACAN, is a navigation system initially designed for naval aircraft to acquire moving landing platforms (i.e., ships) and later expanded for use by other military aircraft. It provides the user with bearing and distance (slant-range or hypotenuse) to a ground or ship-borne station. It is, from an end-user perspective, a more accurate version of the VOR/ DME system that provides bearing and range information for civil aviation. The DME portion of the TACAN system is available for civil use; at VORTAC facilities where a VOR is combined with a TACAN, civil aircraft can receive VOR/DME readings. Aircraft equipped with TACAN avionics can use this system for enroute navigation as well as non-precision approaches to landing fields. However, a TACAN-only equipped aircraft cannot receive bearing information from a VOR-only station. History The TACAN navigation system is an evolution of radio transponder navigation ...
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Performance-based Navigation
ICAO performance-based navigation (PBN) specifies that aircraft required navigation performance (RNP) and area navigation (RNAV) systems performance requirements be defined in terms of accuracy, integrity, availability, continuity, and functionality required for the proposed operations in the context of a particular airspace, when supported by the appropriate navigation infrastructure. Description Historically, aircraft navigation specifications have been specified directly in terms of sensors (navigation Beacon#For navigation, beacons and/or Waypoint#In aviation, waypoints). A navigation specification that includes an additional requirement for on-board navigation performance monitoring and alerting is referred to as a required navigation performance (RNP) specification. One not having such requirements is referred to as an area navigation (RNAV) specification. Performance requirements are identified in navigation specifications, which also identify the choice of navigation senso ...
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VHF Omnidirectional Range
Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range Station (VOR) is a type of short-range VHF radio navigation system for aircraft, enabling aircraft with a VOR receiver to determine the azimuth (also radial), referenced to magnetic north, between the aircraft to/from fixed VOR ground transmitter, radio beacons. VOR and the first DME(1950) system (referenced to 1950 since different from today's DME/N) to provide the slant range distance, were developed in the United States as part of a U.S. civil/military program for Aeronautical Navigation Aids in 1945. Deployment of VOR and DME(1950) began in 1949 by the U.S. CAA (Civil Aeronautics Administration). ICAO standardized VOR and DME(1950) in 1950 in ICAO Annex ed.1. Frequencies for the use of VOR are standardized in the very high frequency (VHF) band between 108.00 and 117.95 MHz Chapter 3, Table A. To improve azimuth accuracy of VOR even under difficult siting conditions, Doppler VOR (DVOR) was developed in the 1960s. VOR is accordi ...
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Microwave Landing System
The microwave landing system (MLS) is an all-weather, precision radio guidance system intended to be installed at large airports to assist aircraft in landing, including 'blind landings'. MLS enables an approaching aircraft to determine when it is aligned with the destination runway and on the correct glidepath for a safe landing. MLS was intended to replace or supplement the instrument landing systems (ILS). MLS has a number of operational advantages over ILS, including a wider selection of channels to avoid interference with nearby installations, excellent performance in all weather, a small "footprint" at the airports, and wide vertical and horizontal "capture" angles that allowed approaches from wider areas around the airport. Although some MLS systems became operational in the 1990s, the widespread deployment envisioned by some aviation agencies never became a reality. There were two reasons: (economic) while technically superior to ILS, MLS did not offer sufficiently grea ...
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Iridium Satellite Constellation
The Iridium satellite constellation provides L band voice and data information Pass (spaceflight), coverage to satellite phones, satellite messenger communication devices and integrated transceivers. Iridium Communications owns and operates the Satellite constellation, constellation, additionally selling equipment and access to its services. It was conceived by Bary Bertiger, Raymond J. Leopold and Ken Peterson in late 1987 (in 1988 protected by patents Motorola filed in their names) and then developed by Motorola on a fixed-price contract from July 29, 1993, to November 1, 1998, when the system became operational and commercially available. The constellation consists of 66 active satellites in orbit, required for global coverage, and additional spare satellites to serve in case of failure. Satellites are placed in low Earth orbit at a height of approximately and Orbital inclination, inclination of 86.4°. The nearly polar orbit and communication between satellites via Ka band I ...
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MTSAT
Multifunctional Transport Satellites (MTSAT) were a series of weather and aviation control satellites. They were replaced by Himawari 8 on 7 July 2015. They were geostationary satellites owned and operated by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), and provide coverage for the hemisphere centred on 140.0° East; this includes Japan and Australia who are the principal users of the satellite imagery that MTSAT provides. They replace the GMS-5 satellite, also known as ''Himawari 5'' ("himawari" or "ひまわり" meaning "sunflower"). They can provide imagery in five wavelength bands — visible and four infrared, including the water vapour channel. The visible light camera has a resolution of 1 km; the infrared cameras have 4 km (resolution is lower away from the equator at 140° East). The spacecraft have a planned lifespan of five years. MTSAT-1 and 1R were built by Space Systems/Lor ...
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INMARSAT
Inmarsat is a British communications satellite, satellite telecommunications company, offering global mobile services. It provides telephone and data services to users worldwide, via portable or mobile terminals which communicate with ground stations through fifteen geostationary telecommunications satellites. Inmarsat's network provides communications services to a range of governments, aid agency, aid agencies, media outlets and businesses (especially in the shipping, airline and mining industries) with a need to communicate in remote regions or where there is no reliable Earth, terrestrial network. The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by Connect Bidco, a consortium consisting of Apax Partners, Warburg Pincus, the CPP Investment Board and the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, in December 2019. On 8 November 2021, Inmarsat's owners and Viasat (American company), Viasat announced the purchase of Inmarsat by Viasat. The acquisition was comp ...
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