{"id":11085,"date":"2021-05-04T11:03:52","date_gmt":"2021-05-04T15:03:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/?p=11085"},"modified":"2021-05-04T11:03:52","modified_gmt":"2021-05-04T15:03:52","slug":"pbn-rnp-and-what-it-all-means","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/pbn-rnp-and-what-it-all-means\/","title":{"rendered":"PBN, RNP and what it all means"},"content":{"rendered":"

All across Europe, ‘Airspace Improvement Events’ are occurring. It sounds huge. We were expecting new regions, routes, maybe some special-filtered cleaner air being puffed out into it…<\/p>\n

Alas, we read through all the Airspace Improvement Event notices, and from what we gather, it is part of a big, ongoing project to implement things like Free Route Airspace<\/strong>, more PBN routes<\/strong>, and to basically tidy up the airspace<\/strong> a little. This is not limited to just Europe though – the world is going PBN.<\/p>\n

So, less an \u2018Event\u2019 and more a \u2018Something\u2019?<\/h4>\n

Everything is moving to Performance Based Navigation.\u00a0It has something to do with being compliant with EC Regulation 2018\/1048<\/a>, but really just comes down to more efficient, better, safer, increased capacity airspace and approach benefits for everyone.<\/p>\n

As simply as possible – VORs are out, Waypoints are in.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a bit more detail – fixed ATS routes will continue to be implemented for better flow management and lateral separation, you’ll hear more about Free Route Space, and you’ll start seeing more RNP approaches popping up at airports.<\/p>\n

So it is actually quite a big change, but one that will be slow to get implemented. Actually, most countries brought in things like RNAV5 routes<\/strong> and SIDs\/STARs that use RNAV1 and GNSS<\/strong> instead of old-fashioned, Navaid-based manoeuvrings quite some time ago, so this isn’t something pilots will necessarily notice and there is no Big Date to look out for.<\/p>\n

Except for one – December 1 2022<\/strong> (but we will get to that later).<\/p>\n

Why don’t we like conventional Navaids anymore?<\/h4>\n

Well, old Navaids need a lot of maintenance and they break a lot. Ok, not a lot, but they do potentially double the chance of some sort of issue<\/strong> for an airplane relying on them. Take your bog standard ILS for example – it has ground transmitters and aircraft receivers (and all the bits around them and in between then) and if any one of these conks out then you can’t fly the ILS (quite so well) anymore.<\/p>\n

Your GPS approach<\/strong> on the other hand relies on the aircraft system only, which means less to go wrong.*<\/p>\n

*Actually satellites can have issues too – GPS Jamming is a big problem and the plan to decommission Navaids is being delayed because of this.<\/p>\n

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A relic almost as old as Stonehenge<\/p><\/div>\n

So, what does this all actually mean, practically?<\/h4>\n

For operators, it doesn\u2019t mean a whole lot. Most aircraft will have been operating to RNAV5 for a fair old while now, so the only noticeable change will probably some newly named waypoints<\/strong>, and some slightly more efficient routings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

You might need to pay a little more attention to any MELs<\/strong> that affect your performance capabilities, and be aware that approaches might no longer have conventional Navaids as backups in the future because a bunch of these are getting decommissioned.<\/p>\n

But overall, it really means keeping an eye on them charts to see what\u2019s happening where, and to make sure you pull the right plate out for your arrival.<\/p>\n

PBN, Say Again?<\/h4>\n

So, PBN, again. And December 1 2022. What happens then?<\/p>\n

ICAO has ordered all approach charts<\/strong> to reflect the new specifications by<\/strong> December 1, 2022.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This<\/p><\/div>\n

What is changing?<\/h4>\n

All charts will say RNP APCH<\/strong> on them (or RNP AR APCH<\/strong>) instead of RNAV, RNP (GNSS)<\/em> or whatever other random title they currently have. The chart should have the three lines of minima on it which you will need to know – your LNAV<\/strong>, LNAV\/VNAV<\/strong> or your LPV<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The Chart and the Minimas<\/p><\/div>\n

Which country is winning the chart race?<\/h4>\n

ICAO post updates on the implementation which you can follow here<\/a>, although they last updated it in 2017 so let’s hope it is looking a little better now.<\/p>\n

All the R’s<\/h4>\n

In case you are still lost at RNP instead of RNAV, here is a quick recap on some terms for you:<\/p>\n