Testing GPS Approaches for Civil Aviation in the Swiss Alps

To analyse and test the feasibility of GPS-aided approaches for civil aviation in the Swiss Alps, an internationally co-operating group, leaded by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) has been set up. During several test flights and dedicated ground missions various problems, such as satellite visibility, multipathing, GPS signal interference and the influence of the topography on the navigation and the GPS system were addressed. The tests showed the potential of satellite based systems for approaches, in particular for use in rugged terrain.