Air New Zealand Completes RNP Demonstration at Queenstown

[aggiano]

Dopo l'aeroporto di Innsbruck e quello di Angelhom in Svezia, dove è in corso lo studio, approvato per ora solo per i 737NG SAS, un altro aeroporto si arrichisce delle nuove procedure RNP 0.3 derivate direttamente da quelle RNAV (GNSS) ma con maggiore precisione laterale. Le minime delle nuove procedure, quando le compagnie arrivarenno ad essere certicate per la RNAV RNP 0.1, arriveranno ad essere di 250 ft prossime a quelle dell'ILS di cat1 offrendo innumerevoli vantaggi rispetto a quest'ultima quali, ad esempio, procedure anche per aeroporti posti in vallate o in presenza di ostacoli naturali ma soprattutto la non necessità di apparati a terra.
Di seguito l'articolo su ANZ:

ir New Zealand (ANZ) is about to receive full operational approval to operate its A320s to minimum decision heights down to 270 feet AGL (above ground level) using RNAV (area navigation) and RNP (required navigational performance) at New Zealand's Queenstown, rather then the 3000 feet (900 meters) AGL minimum allowed previously.

The airline, working with Airbus and Naverus, was granted permission from New Zealand's CAA (civil aviation authority) to take advantage of the A320's FMS (flight management system) and GPS positioning capability to fly a curved approach to this minimum altitude in instrument conditions. Without this capability ANZ needs VMC (visual meteorological conditions) to operate into Queensland using a VOR (VHF omnidirectional range) procedure.

All Airbus aircraft, equipped with dual FMS and GPS capabilities, are already certified for RNP 0.3 (of a nautical mile), which means they can fly the straight-in final segment of instrument approach procedures published under ICAO PANS OPS (procedures for air navigation services-operations) or TERPS (terminal procedures) criteria. But at airports where access is restricted due to terrain or other constraints such as nearby traffic patterns, restricted airspace, tall buildings, or noise issues, lower RNP values and RNAV curved final segments can provide new operational possibilities and savings of time and fuel.

The CAA approval for ANZ followed the completion of A320 demonstration flights into Queenstown in June of this year, where RNP procedures were used to arrivals on both runways, along with missed approaches, and departures with both engines and with one engine simulated failed were flown with autopilot engaged, using a newly activated lateral deviation display, which allows the pilots to monitor the flight path steering error directly on their PFDs (primary flight displays).

Since ANZ's A320s have all the hardware necessary for these approaches, only a software update will be needed to get the aircraft's lateral deviation display activated.

Following full operational approval from the CAA, expected at the end of this year, ANZ will begin to operate these new procedures using RNP 0.3 minima to gather information and gain experience before transitioning to RNP 0.15 values.

Qantas was granted approval to operate its B-737NGs into Queenstown using RNAV and RNP procedures – also developed with the help of Naverus – earlier this year. 10-15-2005.

[Nicola_LIMF]

Molto interessante, Adriano, grazie!

Ora speriamo solo che non si inventino qualcosa del genere per atterrare ad Aosta