The Use of a GPS-Equipped Aircraft as a Mobile Platform to Study the Propagation of Omega Navigation Signals
The almost complete constellation of GPS satellites now provides excellent positional information for aircraft, with typical worst-case errors of the order of 100 metres. The low frequency waves used for Omega navigation have wavelengths of the order of 30 kilometres and thus, even in an aircraft mo...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1994
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0373463300012145 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0373463300012145 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0373463300012145 2024-03-03T08:37:27+00:00 The Use of a GPS-Equipped Aircraft as a Mobile Platform to Study the Propagation of Omega Navigation Signals Barr, R. Armstrong, T. R. Arrell, S. 1994 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0373463300012145 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0373463300012145 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Journal of Navigation volume 47, issue 2, page 221-235 ISSN 0373-4633 1469-7785 Ocean Engineering Oceanography journal-article 1994 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0373463300012145 2024-02-08T08:42:32Z The almost complete constellation of GPS satellites now provides excellent positional information for aircraft, with typical worst-case errors of the order of 100 metres. The low frequency waves used for Omega navigation have wavelengths of the order of 30 kilometres and thus, even in an aircraft moving at varying speeds up to around 500 km per hour, it is now a simple matter to measure VLF phase with a significance at the 1 degree level. This paper describes the use of GPS to provide accurate positional information to VLF receivers located on aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Airforce (RNZAF) en-route to Antarctica. The marked phase irregularities on signals from La Reunion and Argentina, observed north of the icecap in earlier studies using aircraft fitted with inertial navigation systems, have been confirmed and described with much greater precision. Smaller phase anomalies have also been observed on signals from Omega Australia and Omega Hawaii, whilst flying directly over the Antarctic icecap. The latter signal was previously regarded as unperturbed and used in earlier studies as a phase reference. Small-scale periodic variations of phase and amplitude have also been recorded on signals propagating from Omega Australia. These variations are considered to be caused by the reflection of the VLF waves at discontinuities in the height (e.g. mountains) or the lower boundary conductivity of the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. Reflections of smaller amplitude have also been observed flying over the open ocean before reaching Antarctica. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Cambridge University Press Antarctic The Antarctic New Zealand Argentina Journal of Navigation 47 2 221 235 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Ocean Engineering Oceanography |
spellingShingle |
Ocean Engineering Oceanography Barr, R. Armstrong, T. R. Arrell, S. The Use of a GPS-Equipped Aircraft as a Mobile Platform to Study the Propagation of Omega Navigation Signals |
topic_facet |
Ocean Engineering Oceanography |
description |
The almost complete constellation of GPS satellites now provides excellent positional information for aircraft, with typical worst-case errors of the order of 100 metres. The low frequency waves used for Omega navigation have wavelengths of the order of 30 kilometres and thus, even in an aircraft moving at varying speeds up to around 500 km per hour, it is now a simple matter to measure VLF phase with a significance at the 1 degree level. This paper describes the use of GPS to provide accurate positional information to VLF receivers located on aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Airforce (RNZAF) en-route to Antarctica. The marked phase irregularities on signals from La Reunion and Argentina, observed north of the icecap in earlier studies using aircraft fitted with inertial navigation systems, have been confirmed and described with much greater precision. Smaller phase anomalies have also been observed on signals from Omega Australia and Omega Hawaii, whilst flying directly over the Antarctic icecap. The latter signal was previously regarded as unperturbed and used in earlier studies as a phase reference. Small-scale periodic variations of phase and amplitude have also been recorded on signals propagating from Omega Australia. These variations are considered to be caused by the reflection of the VLF waves at discontinuities in the height (e.g. mountains) or the lower boundary conductivity of the Earth-ionosphere waveguide. Reflections of smaller amplitude have also been observed flying over the open ocean before reaching Antarctica. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Barr, R. Armstrong, T. R. Arrell, S. |
author_facet |
Barr, R. Armstrong, T. R. Arrell, S. |
author_sort |
Barr, R. |
title |
The Use of a GPS-Equipped Aircraft as a Mobile Platform to Study the Propagation of Omega Navigation Signals |
title_short |
The Use of a GPS-Equipped Aircraft as a Mobile Platform to Study the Propagation of Omega Navigation Signals |
title_full |
The Use of a GPS-Equipped Aircraft as a Mobile Platform to Study the Propagation of Omega Navigation Signals |
title_fullStr |
The Use of a GPS-Equipped Aircraft as a Mobile Platform to Study the Propagation of Omega Navigation Signals |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Use of a GPS-Equipped Aircraft as a Mobile Platform to Study the Propagation of Omega Navigation Signals |
title_sort |
use of a gps-equipped aircraft as a mobile platform to study the propagation of omega navigation signals |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1994 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0373463300012145 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0373463300012145 |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic New Zealand Argentina |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic New Zealand Argentina |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
op_source |
Journal of Navigation volume 47, issue 2, page 221-235 ISSN 0373-4633 1469-7785 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0373463300012145 |
container_title |
Journal of Navigation |
container_volume |
47 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
221 |
op_container_end_page |
235 |
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1792498918759596032 |