WIDE AREA AUGMENTATION SYSTEM (WAAS)

The WAAS or Wide Area Augmentation System was developed by the US Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration for the purpose of providing an accurate navigational system for civilian air transportation. This goes hand-in-hand with the Global Positioning System, augmenting the accuracy and making it more available for those who depend on GPS on all phases of air transit. These are available for all qualified airports within the WAAS scope. It provides accurate horizontal and vertical navigation coordinates for precision approaches.

GPS and WAAS

The WAAS, like GPS, has three segments: the ground segment consisting of many Wide-area Reference Stations (WRS) that surveys ground stations as well as gather data from GPS satellites. These WRS send the gathered information to the Master Stations using ground based communications networks. The second segment is the space segment composed of the 29 geosynchronous communication satellites that send information produced by the Wide-are Master Stations (WMS) to the ground receivers for the users. The third segment is the user segment which is the receivers getting signals from both GPS and WAAS space segments.

The WAAS system has its own set of satellites but is also dependent on GPS space vehicles for navigation. It is after all a system to improve the accuracy of GPS data for the crucial role of guiding aircrafts with civilian passengers along their routes and landing procedures.

The Benefits of WAAS GPS Navigator

The WAAS system provides a lot of security in air transportation. With just one receiver on board the airplane, the pilot gets highly accurate information about their position that is user-friendly and cost-effective. There is only limited demand for ground and space-based infrastructure enabling almost all airports to avail of precision approaches at a lesser cost.

Another plus for using the WAAS system is that airplanes can fly directly from one airport to another without plying through routes assigned by ground-based transmissions. Without the need to zigzag across airspace, the cost for fuel and travel time can be significantly reduced. Aircrafts with a WAAS system installed are permitted to fly at lower altitudes since they no longer have to rely on ground-based signals which were heavily limited by blockages by terrain. By using the existing efficient GPS system, information of location and position is more accurate and easily acquired. This is especially beneficial for non-pressurized aircrafts, saving them more fuel and oxygen.

All in all, the WAAS system in conjunction with the GPS navigational system has greatly improved the quality and cost-efficiency of air transportation in North America, and has reduced fuel consumption from aircrafts. Airports do not need to build infrastructures that as much as the other ground-based navigational systems that were previously used.