Zonal Navigation System - Basic Area Navigation

This report is to introduce anyone with zonal navigation system – BRNAV – Basic Area Navigation. For better understanding it is necessary to have a little discretion in BRNAV descendant – RNAV – Area Navigation. Here is discussed the main aims of BRNAV, main parameters of system, examples of system support and short insight in it.

BRNAV is applied only in Europe airspace. This system has to be more precise – until 5 nautical miles deviation in all flight time. It is very strictly determined in every country Air Traffic Control laws that it is impossible and can not fly without BRNAV compliant systems in European airspace. BRNAV is a method of navigation that permits aircraft operations on any desired flight path within the coverage of station referenced navigation aids or within the limits of capability of self contained aids. This system is necessary to provide much better quality and safety of flight and it can also make much bigger economy of fuel and time. So if there is not used so much fuel then it does not make so big environmental pollution. In nowadays it maybe can not make big changes for environment but in future it can be good reason.

There are several ideas how to make European airspace useable for aircrafts that are not BRNAV compliant. And ideas how to make this system more precise, but it depends on how fast can progress these systems.

Area navigation is a method of point-to-point navigation along any desired course within the service area of a VOR/DME station, without the need for flight over the station. This course is plotted with “waypoints”. A waypoint is defined as a geographic position located within the service area of a VORTAC station. It may be used for route definition and/ or progress reporting. A waypoint as called “phantom” station provides the RNAV user with the same navigation information that a real VORTAC station at that location would provide.1…