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WAAS?

P

PittsAkro

Member
Has anyone shot a WAAS approach yet? Are there enough commissioned to be worth it? I'm debating upgrading my Garmin 430 but not sure if it it's worth the $$. Any thoughts or opinions?...................on this forum.....riiiight.

Ok so how does one put in one of those smiley dingus' into the text body?
 
I'm in no rush....

Maybe it's just that I've worked for the government in the aerospace world for too long...but I am a "slow adopter on new technologies - until I am absolutely sure that the FAA isn't going to terminate the project after getting a few units in the field. I skipped Loran altogether, for instance. GPS is such a revolutionary technology that FAA or no FAA, it was going to take over. Mode S? Uh...tell me again why I need that, when I can get much better data downloaded from a satellite link? Oh yeah...it's so they can uniquely identify MY airplane, without a unique squawk code... :eek:

I have not really identified a need for WAAS approaches in my own flying yet - sure, the potential is there for lower minimums, but have you ever looked around an airport with only non-precision approaches when it was VFR? Seen all those obstructions and towers? Uh....hmmm... :confused:

I know - I am a Luddite, afraid of new technology...or maybe I just don't feel like spending the money to upgrade my 430 when I shoot so few actual, real approaches in a year. Lots of sim time, lots of hood work - but if I have to shoot more than a couple ILS's below 500 feet for real in a year, I begin to worry about my weather planning and risk management criteria. Of course, I live in a part of the country where we don't see an inordinate amount of low weather. It's too bloody hot for fog! :rolleyes:

Long answer to a short question, I know. I'm waiting....

Paul
 
I'm with Paul...until the GPS-WAAS approaches start getting D.H.'s closer to standard ILS approaches, I don't really see much of a benefit to upgrade yet.
 
waas

Im a true believer in the new tech. Ive flown some IFR with the Garmin 430 and Many of my friends here locally use this for thier primary instrument. Cleve Thompson who I help in building his RV9a has finalized his instrument panel with the Garmin 430. He took the plunge and bought the upgrade for the waas and he believes it is very worth while. We have one approach here for runway 36 that is set up for waas and this time of year we get really storng north winds with low ceilings. The glide slope is on runway 18 so the waas approach to 36 is really important. Without waas the rwy 36 GPS mins are 800 feet because there is a tower adjacent to final. With the waas the mins are same as the glide slope on 18. I bet examples abound around the south where the waas could mean the difference of a good landing or a missed approach and moving on to your alternate. ;)

About that smiley face? Which one do yo like the best? Just click on it while yor typing and it will magically appear in your text.. :D
 
Luddite

Paul:

You; of all people a Luddite?????? I can't believe it. You; one of NASA's finest, a Luddite. OMG what is this world comming to!

Seriously, I'm a retired USAF Documentary filmaker. In the middle 70's I filmed the final preperations of the first GPS satellite to be placed into orbit. I had extensive conversations with the design and production engineers and the tech's during the endless hours of checkouts in the clean room. They told me that it was designed for ships and might eventually make it into large cargo military aircraft.

Even they had no idea at that time how miniturization would change the whole world of electronics.

At that time, with the clocks on board that they had to work with, I would have been skeptical of waas too. (They hadn't even thought of accuracy that good at that time.) Now 30 years later, with cesium clocks and the checks and balances, I'm a believer.

Mannan Thomason (Reformed Luddite)
RV-8 N161RL No. One Girl
 
Maybe I should have put a smiley face after that Luddite remark.... :rolleyes: :D :p

But I'm still to cheap to pay for WAAS until I fidn the need!

Paul
 
Thats more like it!

Paul:

I knew it was much more simple than fear, everybody understands cheap. Remember those $100 beers at LOE? Your not that cheap! :) :p :eek: :D
 
Smilies

PittsAkro said:
Ok so how does one put in one of those smiley dingus' into the text body?
Click to expand...

Hi Jeff,
When you reach the point in the post you're typing when you want to insert a smilie.. :D or puzzled look, etc :confused: just look to the right side of the dialog box and left-click on the one you want. It'll appear where your cursor is at that moment....... :)
Regards,
 
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