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By Greg Bartlett

This is definitely the computer and technology age. Take a look around. Everyone, so it seems, has a computer, a cell phone, probably a portable music player of some sort, maybe a gaming device – the list could go on and on. Many people use technology just for fun, while others apply it to work. Some people have also focused on the idea of technology increasing safety, whether in cars, boats, planes, or other vehicles.

Airplane Safety

Aviation safety and tracking has recently come to the forefront with the disappearance and crash of Air France Flight 477. Some individuals are calling for increased use of GPS devices in aircraft so that airplanes can be tracked constantly and can be located quickly if the airplane does crash. One aviation consultant claims that radar can only reach about 200 miles out from shore, so in cases like Flight 477, mid-ocean disasters sites may not be able to be located.

The consultant claims that GPS devices can help Air Traffic Control monitor planes, and ATC can then help pilots with their flight patterns, weather updates, and other information that they need. For Flight 477, knowledge about the weather could have averted the disaster. For many planes that are lost, having ATC know exactly where they are could mean the difference between crashing and finding an airport. So it’s no wonder that the aviation consultant claims that GPS devices can save lives.

Currently, ATC usually has to determine an airplane’s location based on flight plans, departure times, and speed of travel. This imprecise system could be replaced with one that can accurately locate the aircraft and help both the pilot, ATC, and other airplanes to know where a particular aircraft is located. Furthermore, even if power in the airplane does go out and the airplane cannot use the GPS tracking devices, like with Flight 477, ATC would still know exactly where the plane was when communication had ended, which would have narrowed the search area and presumably helped with any rescue and recovery efforts.

GPS devices offer the technology for airplanes and ATC to know exactly where an airplane is and increase safety for the airplane and its passengers. Pilots can know where their plane is, other planes are, and what the weather is like, while ATC can monitor each plane and provide assistance where needed. Hopefully, disasters like Flight 477 could be avoided, or at least located immediately, and GPS could save lives.