More info on GNS 430/530 WAAS upgrade

"Peter R." wrote:

wrote:

Another big "if" is whether WAAS and LPV will be around 5 years from now.

Now this speculation is something I never read before. What would be the
reason for the demise of this technology, assuming it does not survive the
next several years?


The primary GPS system is operated by the military and has huge benefits for them. It
also has huge benefits to much of the population beyond the military and beyond
aviation. The incremential cost to operate the system for all civil users is zero.
The system is useful through the entire world.

WAAS, OTOH, is a United States system funded and operated by the FAA. It is only
useful in the United States and some nearby areas. It is a different implementation of
GPS augmentation protocol than proposed by a few other countries.

WAAS functions through transponders rented by the FAA on commercial satellites, plus
several expensive ground stations. The operating costs are in the hundreds of millions
of dollars a year. The system is being used by a very small part of general aviation.
Most air carrier and biz jets have no need for WAAS at all, plus it dies as soon as
they fly off shore.

The bean counters at the FAA have trouble keep justifying this huge annual expense for
very little benefit.