AOPA Fears Lack of Backup for GPS

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association expressed dismay at the decision of the U.S. Coast Guard to terminate the U.S. Loran-C signal beginning Feb. 8, 2010, without a backup plan for the global positioning system. The Coast Guard this month released a special notice of its intent to terminate signals (BA, Jan. 11/13). The fiscal 2010 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill calls for the elimination of Loran-C funding if the Coast Guard Commandant certifies that the system is not necessary as a backup for other federal navigation uses. AOPA noted that while Loran-C is not now widely used for navigation, an enhanced version, eLoran, has been recommended as a backup system for GPS. “The termination of loran will leave the country without a single national backup system in the event of a GPS outage,” AOPA said.

“Recent reports have shown that the constellation of satellites is vulnerable to outages and service disruptions,” said Craig Spence, AOPA vice president of operations and international affairs. “AOPA has long cautioned against decommissioning loran before a separate navigation system is established as a backup.”

Photo credit: U.S. Coast Guard

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