Information Sheet: Introduction to Air Navigation

INFORMATION SHEET

Introduction to Air Navigation

Information Sheet No. 4.1.1I

INTRODUCTION

Air navigation is defined as "the process of determining the geographic position and

maintaining the desired direction of an aircraft relative to the surface of the earth."

REFERENCE

INFORMATION

There are three types of navigation: Dead Reckoning Navigation, Visual Navigation, and

Electronic Navigation. Visual and electronic navigation are back-up techniques to dead

reckoning.

DEAD RECKONING NAVIGATION

Dead Reckoning is defined as directing an aircraft and determining its position by the

application of direction and speed data from a previous position. It is the basis for all types

of air navigation. Navigation is both the history and prediction of an aircraft's flight path. At

the heart of DR are its four components: position, direction, time, and speed. Position is a

set of coordinates that define the specific location of the aircraft above the earth's surface.

Direction is an angular measurement from a reference, which determines the actual flight

path from a known starting point. Speed multiplied by time will produce the distance flown

(or to be flown). The combination of these four components will allow the aircrew to

determine the aircraft's current position or to predict its future position. As with any

mathematical relationship, if three of the four components are known, the fourth can be

determined.

Position is a geographic point defined by coordinates. There are several coordinate

systems available to determine a specific location on the earth's surface. The primary

system used in aviation is the latitude/longitude system.

4.6-9