Application of the DGPS method for the precise positioning of an aircraft in air transport

This article presents research results concerning the determination of the position of a Cessna 172 aircraft by means of the DGPS positioning method. The position of the aircraft was recovered on the basis of P1/P2 code observations in the GPS navigation system. The coordinates of the aircraft were designated due to the application of the Kalman forward-filtering method. The numerical calculations were conducted using RTKLIB software in the RTKPOST module. In the scientific experiment, the authors used research materials from the test flight conducted by a Cessna 172 aircraft in the area of Dęblin in the Lublin Voivodeship in south-eastern Poland. The research experiment exploited navigation data and GPS observation data recorded by the geodetic Topcon Hiper Pro receiver mounted in the cockpit of the Cessna 172 and installed on the REF1 reference station. The typical accuracy for recovering the position of the Cessna 172 with the DGPS method exceeds in the region of 2 m. In addition, the authors specify the parameters of availability, integrity and continuity of GNSS satellite positioning in air navigation. The obtained findings of the scientific experiment were compared with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO’s) technical standards.