# Can GPS successfully land a plane?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-gps-successfully-land-a-plane/963463>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 26, 2022, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-gps-successfully-land-a-plane/963463 "2022-04-26T03:03:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2022, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-gps-successfully-land-a-plane/963463/41 "2022-04-28T07:49:55Z")

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Well, once the question is answered it’s interesting to discuss technicalities.

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**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2022, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-gps-successfully-land-a-plane/963463/42 "2022-04-28T10:46:47Z")

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> [@sitchensis](#):
>
> You could use multiple antenna on the wingtips, nose and tail.

Satellite compasses for marine navigation do something like this.

> **[JRC JLN-720 Satellite Compass](https://www.mackaycomm.com/products/navigation/satellitecompass/jrc-jln-720-satellite-compass/)**
>
> The JRC JLN-720 Satellite Compass allows you to accurately compute your vessels speed and distance at your fingertips. Features Comply with IEC 61023(Ed.3), SDME standards for the ships of 50,000GT and greater Provide ship speed with high accuracy...

With an array of spatially separate GPS receivers, it becomes possible to identify speed with high accuracy, as well as orientation and rate-of-change of orientation, even when stopped. Knowing your ship’s geometry - length, width, and fore/aft/lateral installation position of GPS compass - it can calculate speed and direction of movement for the various parts of the ship.

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**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2022, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-gps-successfully-land-a-plane/963463/43 "2022-04-28T16:05:50Z")

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Not that much experience.  
Had to do a deep dive into GPS for possible uses. Ongoing usual level after that. Forgot a lot now. As to update rate. I left the factory default. I believe it was 1 Hz. At 9600 baud. Over VHF radio. Not sure what the usable top rate might be. The Ucenter plotting showed great stability from stationary to 30 KPH. Ublox sells a nice kit for RTK experimenting/use. Base and rover with built in low power radios. Very compact units. Wondering if I can use it for my budding drone hobby.

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