History of Navigation

Aerospace Engineering 2011 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Navigation History
Observation
Observe fixed objects around us
One drives toward a mountain or building close to
a destination
Setting sun indicates westerly direction
What direction does the sun set in Australia?
Navigation History
Maps
Objects are plotted on paper to represent the
earths surface as seen from above
Imaginary lines, latitude and longitude, make
a grid to describe where something is located
Latitude lines run east-west and measure
north-south
Longitude lines run north-south and measure
east-west
Lines of Lines of
Latitude Longitude
Navigation History
Compass
Magnetized piece of iron aligns to earths
magnetic field
Magnet points to magnetic north
Magnetic north is not the same as true north

Aligns with

Magnetic Iron Earths Magnetic Field

Bar
Navigation History
Ocean Passage
Dead reckoning using time and velocity
Sextant measures angular altitude of star
above horizon
Walker log dragged behind boat to indicate
speed in knots (nautical miles per hour)
Navigation History
Early pilots navigated by sight
Routes set up as a chain of visual towers
Requires line of sight from aircraft to tower
Clouds, haze, dust, etc. obscure vision

Chain of
Towers
Navigation History
Radio Navigation
LORAN-C
LOng RAnge Navigation
NDB
Non-Directional Beacon
ILS
Instrument Landing System
VOR
Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range
GPS
Global Positioning System
LORAN Long Range Navigation
LOng RAnge Navigation
LORAN-C is no longer used
Was designed for maritime navigation
Was a supplement to aerial navigation
NDB Non Directional Beacon
Measures clockwise angle between
airplane longitudinal direction (airplane
pointing) and NDB
Oldest electronic navigation still used
Can be used at lower altitude than VOR
Aircraft instrument: Automatic Direction
Finder (ADF)
VOR - Very High Frequency Omni-
Directional Range
Shows aircrafts position relative to VOR
radial
Very commonly used in aircraft
ILS Instrument Landing System
Navigation aid to guide aircraft to runway
GPS Global Positioning System
U.S. space-based radio-navigation system
Provides three-dimensional location
(latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus time
Components
Satellites orbiting Earth
Control and monitoring stations on Earth
GPS receivers owned by users
References
Bartlett, T. (2009). The book of navigation. New
York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing.
Federal Aviation Administration (2009). Retrieved
August 25, 2009, from http://www.faa.gov/
iStockphoto. Retrieved from
http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-
5975040-woman-using-a-gps.php
Munns, H. (1991). Unlocking the charts secrets. In
Cruising fundamentals (p 81). Marina Del Ray,
CA: American Sailing Association and
International Marine.
References
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(2009). Retrieved from http://www.nasa.gov/
National Executive Committee for Space-Based
Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (2009).
Retrieved from http://pnt.gov/
National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation,
and Timing Coordination Office (2009). Global
Positioning System Retrieved from
http://www.gps.gov/
References
Jeppesen (2007). Navigation (2007). In Jeppesen
Private pilot: Guided flight discovery (pp. 9-20
9-46). Englewood, CO: Jeppesen
United States Coast Guard (2009). LORAN-C
general information. Retrieved from
http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/loran/