Journal OACI

No. 3

The Netherlands Department of Civil Aviation has taken delivery and put into operation a Citation 500 aircraft (inset) equipped with a computerized flight inspection system to evaluate the performance and to calibrate ground navigational facilities. The system, designed by Sierra Research Corporation and believed to be the first of its kind, will be used to inspect ILS facilities to Category-III standards. Besides ILS, the system can also inspect VOR, DME, ADF and VHF facilities. In the past, computerized flight inspection systems did not have the overall accuracy necessary to evaluate ILS facilities to Category-III requirements. The system shown includes a console with specialized receivers, together with controls and displays that enable the flight inspector to monitor operation of the airborne system.