View from cockpit

View from the cockpit during a successful test using the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) to guide an aircraft during landing at San Sebastian airport in Spain.

An Air Nostrum Dash-8 aircraft flew four test approaches to runway 04 at San Sebastian, employing a technique called Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance (LPV). During this type of landing, a special satellite navigation receiver provides the pilot with both lateral guidance, replacing or augmenting the function of the localiser - a radio beacon that guides the plane to the runway centre line, and vertical guidance.

The experience of pilots and air traffic controllers with regard to the value of EGNOS for this aerodrome was very positive. The 3.5º glide path proved to be a safe route for the approach. Notably, there were no ground proximity alerts - these currently prevent flying standard instrument approaches - based on conventional navigation aids - to runway 04.