Precise GPS/GNSS positioning solution for airborne data acquisition systems

The precise positioning of aircrafts during flights belongs to the great challenges with respect to the development of airborne data acquisition systems. Satellite positioning systems like GPS offers a unique capability for precise positioning but requires in depth knowledge of GPS in airborne applications, e.g.GPS for high dynamic application, integration of GPS with other sensors, dynamic behaviour of aircrafts or antenna location. For its positioning reference system of Flight Inspection systems Aerodata AG has developed a robust GPS carrier phase ambiguity solution P-DGPS, Precise Differential GPS combined with complementary sensors like INS, barometers, radio altimeters or laser altimeters as well as laser trackers. Using recorded data during the flight the algorithm offers also the capability to calculate more accurate positions in post-processing. The presented sensor fusion algorithm using GPS without differential corrections (SGPS, standalone GPS) offers a precise height reference solution for approach calibration based only on aircraft-based sensors. SGPS data are combined in post-processing with inertial, pressure, radio and laser altimeter data. Flight trials with a Bombardier "Global Express" at Braunschweig Airport on May 2002 shows the achieved accuracies of the height reference solution calculated by SGPS in comparison to P-DGPS. The SGPS solution for precise height calculation of special mission aircrafts provides accuracies in the order of 5 m and at the runway's threshold in the order of 30 cm.