Replace air speed devices with GPS?
Tue, 08/11/2009 - 4:19pm
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  16 years
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With all the recent furor with faulty air speed indicators (pitot tubes) causing erroneous air speed indications, especially in the AIRBUS, I wonder why commercial pilots do not insist on backup GPSr to have a more accurate air speed indicator.
If I were a commercial pilot (especially an AIRBUS) I would always bring my NUVI along to check the airspeed...
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A GPS can only show ground speed...
Air speed is the speed of the air traveling over the wings. This is imporant to know when it comes to taking off and landing because airplane flight is all about wind flowing over a wing. If the airspeed gets too low, a plane can stall and fall out of the sky.
If a small airplane is moving over the ground at 120 MPH and it's traveling into a 40 MPH headwind, then its airspeed is 120 + 40 = 160 MPH.. A GPS will show 120, but the airspeed indicator will show 160.
If it has a ground speed of 120 MPH and has a 40 MPH tailwind, then the airspeed would be 120 - 40 = 80 MPH. A GPS will show 120, but the airspeed indicator will show 80.
(This is why airplanes always try to take off and land facing the wind).....
As far as large aircraft are concerned.. There was a case where a bug got lodged in a pitot tube and the plane crashed because the pilots had no idea how fast they were flying.. But I'm pretty sure all of them have GPS capability now so the chance of such an incident occurring again is unlikely.
Aircraft airspeed
As a former flight instructor, I was taught and in turn I always stressed to my students, that the loss of the airspeed indicator should not result in loss of control. There are other instruments to use to maintain pitch,roll,altitude and subsequently air speed control. At the least several lessons are devoted to flying with out the use of the airspeed indicator both for primary and instrument students. A great and controversial difference between Boeing and Airbus planes is a nearly complete lack of ability for the pilot to override the flight computers on Airbus planes. At least one fatal crash of an A320 was blamed on the computers because the flight crew could not gain control from a "program glitch".
Air France Flight 447
As far as large aircraft are concerned.. There was a case where a bug got lodged in a pitot tube and the plane crashed because the pilots had no idea how fast they were flying.. But I'm pretty sure all of them have GPS capability now so the chance of such an incident occurring again is unlikely.
Do you think Air France Flight 447 had a bug in the pitot?
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/06/16/236447/air...
I have seen the future and it is now!
Air France
The answer I'm afraid lies under the sea.
Airliners
I thought in today's world, all major airlines have a GPS on their planes! Even MS Flight Simulator has one!!!