MNPS / RNP / BRNAV Certification

OK, your boss has just informed you that he wants to start using the company aircraft for his European trips instead of taking XYZ Airlines. You have already addressed the RVSM situation. Now, what about the navigation requirements? Unless you are willing to live with some very long and inefficient routes to Europe, North Atlantic Minimum Navigation Performance Standard (MNPS), Required Navigation Performance (RNP), and European Basic Area Navigation (BRNAV) certifications will be necessary. Will the VOR and IFR-approved GPS equipment in your aircraft suffice for these lateral navigation approvals? Maybe, maybe not!

VOR and DME equipment tend not to work very well when the closest facility is 1000 nautical miles away. In the past, remote area navigation was handled with systems such as VLF/Omega, Inertial Navigation Systems, LORAN, or plain old dead reckoning. With the exception of some INS systems, these will no longer qualify for remote area certification. We now live in a Global Positioning System (GPS) world. The majority of modern, long-range navigation systems are GPS based, with INS or Inertial Reference System (IRS) sensors providing additional navigation capability where installed. However, do not be fooled. Just because you have the latest and greatest IFR Approach certified GPS receiver installed in your aircraft does not mean it is approved for remote area navigation. The IFR certification requirements for operations over Kansas and the North Atlantic are very different.

Let RVSM HELP take the mystery out of navigation certifications and assist you in choosing the best navigation systems for your operation!