Area navigation

Area navigation (RNAV, usually pronounced as ar-nav) is a method of instrument

flight rules (IFR) navigation that allows an aircraft to choose any course within a
network of navigation beacons, rather than navigate directly to and from the
beacons. This can conserve flight distance, reduce congestion, and allow flights into
airports without beacons. Area navigation used to be called "random navigation",
hence the acronym RNAV.[1]

RNAV can be defined as a method of navigation that permits aircraft operation on

any desired course within the coverage of station-referenced navigation signals or
A simple diagram showing the main
within the limits of a self-contained system capability
, or a combination of these.
difference between traditional
In the United States, RNAV was developed in the 1960s, and the first such routes navigation and RNAV methods

were published in the 1970s. In January 1983, the Federal Aviation Administration
revoked all RNAV routes in the contiguous United Statesdue to findings that aircraft
were using inertial navigation systems rather than the ground-based beacons, and so cost–benefit analysis was not in favour of
maintaining the RNAV routes system.[2] RNAV was reintroduced after the large-scale introduction of satellite navigation.

Contents
Background
Functional requirements
Navigation error components and alerting
Lateral navigation
Longitudinal navigation
Designation
Flight planning
See also
References
External links

Background
The continuing growth of aviation increases demands on airspace capacity, thus emphasising the need for optimum utilisation of
available airspace. Improved operational efficiency derived from the application of area navigation techniques has resulted in the
development of navigation applications in various regions worldwide and for all phases of flight. These applications could potentially
be expanded to provide guidance for ground movement operations.

Requirements for navigation applications on specific routes or within a specific airspace must be defined in a clear and concise
manner. This is to ensure that the flight crew and the air traffic controllers are aware of the on-board RNAV system capabilities in
order to determine if the performance of the RNA
V system is appropriate for the specific airspace requirements.

RNAV systems evolved in a manner similar to conventional ground-based routes and procedures. A specific RNAV system was
identified and its performance was evaluated through a combination of analysis and flight testing. For land-based operations, the
initial systems used very high frequency omnidirectional radio range(VOR) and distance measuring equipment(DME) for estimating
position; for oceanic operations, inertial navigation systems (INS) were employed. Airspace and obstacle clearance criteria were
developed based on the performance of available equipment, and specifications for requirements were based on available capabilities.
Such prescriptive requirements resulted in delays to the introduction of new RNAV system capabilities and higher costs for
maintaining appropriate certification. To avoid such prescriptive specifications of requirements, an alternative method for defining
equipment requirements has been introduced. This enables the specification of performance requirements, independent of available
equipment capabilities, and is termed performance-based navigation(PBN). Thus, RNAV is now one of the navigation techniques of
PBN; currently the only other isrequired navigation performance(RNP).

RNAV and RNP systems are fundamentally similar. The key difference between them is the requirement for on-board performance
monitoring and alerting. A navigation specification that includes a requirement for on-board navigation performance monitoring and
alerting is referred to as an RNP specification. One not having such requirements is referred to as an RNAV specification. An area
navigation system capable of achieving the performance requirement of an RNP specification is referred to as an RNP system.

As a result of decisions made in the industry in the 1990s, most modern RNAV systems provide on-board performance monitoring
and alerting, therefore the navigation specifications developed for use by these systems can be designated as RNP
.

Many RNAV systems, while offering very high accuracy and possessing many of the functions provided by RNP systems, are not
able to provide assurance of their performance. Recognising this, and to avoid operators incurring unnecessary expense, where the
airspace requirement does not necessitate the use of an RNP system, many new as well as existing navigation requirements will
continue to specify RNAV rather than RNP systems. It is therefore expected that RNAV and RNP operations will co-exist for many
years.

However, RNP systems provide improvements in the integrity of operation, permitting possibly closer route spacing, and can provide
sufficient integrity to allow only the RNP systems to be used for navigation in a specific airspace. The use of RNP systems may
therefore offer significant safety, operational and efficiency benefits. While RNAV and RNP applications will co-exist for a number
of years, it is expected that there will be a gradual transition to RNP applications as the proportion of aircraft equipped with RNP
systems increases and the cost of transition reduces.

Functional requirements
RNAV specifications include requirements for certain navigation functions. These functional requirements include:

1. continuous indication ofaircraft position relative to track to be displayed to the pilot flying on anavigation display
situated in their primaryfield of view;
2. display of distance and bearing to the active (To) waypoint;
3. display of ground speed or time to the active (To) waypoint;
4. navigation data storagefunction; and
5. appropriate failure indication of the RNAV system including its sensors.

Navigation error components and alerting

Lateral navigation
The inability to achieve the required lateral navigation accuracy may be due to navigation errors related to aircraft tracking and
positioning. The three main errors are path definition error (PDE), flight technical error (FTE) and navigation system error (NSE).
The distribution of these errors is assumed to be independent, zero-mean and Gaussian. Therefore, the distribution of total system
error (TSE) is also Gaussian with a standard deviation equal to the root sum square (RSS) of the standard deviations of these three
errors.

PDE occurs when the path defined in the RNAV system does not correspond to the desired path, i.e. the path expected to be flown
over the ground. Use of an RNAV system for navigation presupposes that a defined path representing the intended track is loaded into
the navigation database. A consistent, repeatable path cannot be defined for a turn that allows for a fly-by turn at a waypoint (because
nearness to waypoint and wind vector may not be repeatable), requires a fly-over of a waypoint (because wind vector may not be
repeatable), or occurs when the aircraft reaches a target altitude (because target altitude is dependent on engine thrust and aircraft
weight). In these cases, the navigation database contains a point-to-point desired flight path, but cannot account for the RNAV system
defining a fly-by or fly-over path and performing a maneuver. A meaningful PDE and FTE cannot be established without a defining
path, resulting in variability in the turn. Also, a deterministic, repeatable path cannot be defined for paths based on heading and the
resulting path variability is accommodated in the route design.

FTE relates to the air crew orautopilot's ability to follow the defined path or track, including any display error (e.g. Course Deviation
Indicator (CDI) centering error). FTE can be monitored by the autopilot or air crew procedures and the extent to which these
procedures need to be supported by other means depends, for example, on the phase of flight (i.e. take-off, climb, cruise, descent,
landing) and the type of operations. Such monitoring support could be provided by a map display
.

NSE refers to the difference between the aircraft'sestimated position and actual position.

Longitudinal navigation
Longitudinal performance implies navigation against a position along a track (e.g. 4-D control). However, at the present time, there
are no navigation specifications requiring 4-D control, and there is no FTE in the longitudinal dimension. The current navigation
specifications define requirements for along-track accuracy, which includes NSE and PDE. PDE is considered negligible. The along-
track accuracy affects position reporting (e.g. "10 NM to ABC") and procedure design (e.g. minimum segment altitudes where the
aircraft can begin descent once crossing a fix).

Designation
An RNAV specification is designated as RNAV X, e.g. RNAV 1. The expression 'X' (where stated) refers to the lateral navigation
accuracy in nautical miles, which is expected to be achieved at least 95% of the flight time by the population of aircraft operating
within the airspace, route or procedure.

There are no RNAV approach specifications.

Flight planning
Manual or automated notification of an aircraft's qualification to operate along an air traf
fic services (ATS) route, on a procedure or in
an airspace, is provided to ATC via the flight plan. Flight plan procedures are specified in appropriateICAO documents.[3]

See also
VNAV
LNAV
Localizer performance with vertical guidance

References
This article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom websites or documents of theFederal Aviation Administration.

1. Clausing, Donald J. (2006).The Aviator's Guide to Navigation(https://books.google.com/books?id=dfOg7XZlNCwC)

(4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 77.
2. 68 FR 24864 (https://www.federalregister.gov/citation/68-FR-24864)Establishment of Area Navigation Routes
(RNAV)
3. ICAO. Doc 4444. Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Air rTaffic Management (PANS–ATM).
External links
RNAV Tutorial – Florida International University
Getting To Grips with Modern Navigation– Airbus

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