Transmission data for flight check

Abstract

A method, system, and computer-readable medium for performing a flight check of one or more navigational aid systems. Aspects include obtaining, using an aircraft, first information associated with an accuracy of signals transmitted by a localizer. Aspects also include obtaining, using the aircraft, second information associated with an accuracy of signals transmitted by a glide slope station. Aspects also include transmitting the first information and the second information to a ground receiver for processing.

1 . A method performed by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the method comprising:
 receiving signals transmitted by a navigational aid system associated with an aircraft runway; and   determining information indicating an accuracy of the received signals transmitted by the navigational aid system.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting the information indicating the accuracy of the received signals through a wireless communication link to a ground-based processing system for testing accuracy of the navigation aid system.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein receiving the signals transmitted by the navigational aid system comprises receiving instrument landing system (ILS) signals from an ILS of the navigational aid system, and determining information indicating the accuracy of the received signals comprises determining information indicating accuracy of the ILS signals that are received. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein receiving the ILS signals from the ILS of the navigational aid system comprises receiving the ILS signals while controlling the UAV to fly on a flight path that is perpendicular to an approach flight path of the aircraft runway. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein receiving the ILS signals from the ILS of the navigational aid system comprises receiving the ILS signals from a localizer of the ILS of the navigational aid system. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the information indicating accuracy of the ILS signals that are received is determined based on a plurality of ILS signals received at spaced apart locations along a flight path of the UAV; and
 wherein transmitting the information indicating the accuracy of the received signals comprises transmitting the information indicating accuracy of the ILS signals to the ground-based processing system.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the information indicating accuracy of the ILS signals that are received is determined based on a plurality of ILS signals received at spaced apart locations along a flight path of the UAV within an approach flight path defined for aircraft to use when approaching to land on the aircraft runway. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein receiving the ILS signals from the ILS of the navigational aid system comprises receiving the ILS signals from a glide slope station of the ILS of the navigational aid system. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein receiving the signals transmitted by the navigational aid system comprises receiving a very high frequency (VHF) omnidirectional range (VOR) signals from a VOR station of a VOR navigation system. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein determining information indicating the accuracy of the VOR signals that are received comprises determining information indicating accuracy of VOR signals transmitted by the VOR station. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , the information indicating accuracy of the VOR signals that are received is determined based on a plurality of VOR signals received at spaced apart locations along a flight path of the UAV relative to the VOR station. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein determining information indicating the accuracy of the VOR signals that are received comprises determining information indicating accuracy of VOR signals transmitted by the VOR station; and
 wherein transmitting the information indicating the accuracy of the received signals comprises transmitting the information indicating accuracy of VOR signals transmitted by the VOR station to the ground-based processing system.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 controlling the UAV to fly to a way-point location of a ground-based augmentation system (GBAS) of the aircraft runway;   operating a sensor of the UAV to obtain a visual marking of the way-point of the GBAS of the aircraft runway; and   transmitting the visual marking of the way-point of the GBAS of the aircraft runway and the information indicating an accuracy of the received signals to the ground-based processing system.   
     
     
         14 . A method performed by a ground-based processing system associated with a navigational aid system of an aircraft runway, the method comprising:
 receiving information associated with an accuracy of signals received by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from the navigational aid system;   receiving information associated with flight operations of the UAV;   determining an accuracy of the signals received by the UAV from the navigational aid system based on the information associated with the accuracy of the signals received by the UAV from the navigational aid system and the information associated with the flight operations of the UAV.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein receiving the information associated with the accuracy of signals received by the UAV from the navigational aid system comprises receiving the information associated with the accuracy of signals received by the UAV from the navigational aid system through a wireless communication link from the UAV; and
 wherein receiving the information associated with flight operations of the UAV comprises receiving the information associated with flight operations of the UAV through the wireless communication link from the UAV.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the information associated with the accuracy of signals received by the UAV comprises information associated with the accuracy of signals transmitted by an instrument landing system (ILS) of the navigational aid system received by the UAV. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the information associated with the accuracy of signals transmitted by the ILS comprises first information associated with accuracy of a localizer of the ILS and second information associated with accuracy of a glide slope station of the ILS. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the information associated with the accuracy of signals received by the UAV comprises information associated with the accuracy of signals transmitted by a very high frequency (VHF) omnidirectional range (VOR) navigation system. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the information associated with flight operations of the UAV comprises at least one of location information, speed information, heading information, and altitude information as the UAV conducts flight operations associated with an approach flight path of the aircraft runway. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the UAV, visual information comprising a visual marking of a way-point of a ground-based augmentation system (GBAS) of the aircraft runway; and   validating the waypoint of the GBAS based on the visual information received from the UAV.   
     
     
         21 . A computer program product comprising executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that when executed by a processor of an unmanned aerial vehicle causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving signals transmitted by a navigational aid system associated with an aircraft runway; and   determining information indicating an accuracy of the received signals transmitted by the navigational aid system.   
     
     
         22 . A computer program product comprising executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that when executed by a processor of a ground-based processing system associated with a navigation aid system of an aircraft runway, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
 receiving information associated with an accuracy of signals received by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from the navigational aid system;   receiving information associated with flight operations of the UAV;   determining an accuracy of the signals received by the UAV from the navigational aid system based on the information associated with the accuracy of the signals received by the UAV from the navigational aid system and the information associated with the flight operations of the UAV.