The technology behind the sensors involved in inertial navigation has improved over the last few years, with precision increasing whilst both size and cost have reduced.
The navigation function forms part of the Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) system and consists of calculating a platform's location and velocity (also known as the state vector), as well as its orientation (or attitude).
Air data information is a key issue for use onboard aircraft in order to estimate current altitude and airspeed. Such flight parameters may be measured using a variety of different sensors.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) system is designed so that from any point on the surface of the planet at least four satellites of the GPS constellation are always visible.
One of the basic and most important skills that any human helicopter pilot learns and must practise on a regular basis is the ability to autorotate safely.
In the very early stages of aviation, control of an aircraft was based purely on visual feedback and sensor
Altimeters are devices designed to calculate the height of an aircraft above the surface directly below it. This height may be Above Ground Level (AGL) or Above Sea Level (ASL).
Navigation is a process involving three steps: