ARINC RAIMing On Flight Plans

ARINC Direct has enhanced its flight planning services for business aircraft with the addition of worldwide Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring, or RAIM predictions.

Through a teaming agreement with DW International, ARINC Direct has been adding RAIM information automatically to flight plans filed by its subscribers since July 1, 2009, the date the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) set for RAIM to become a mandatory requirement. The RAIM feature is an integrated part of ARINC Direct flight planning, and no fee is involved.

The FAA now requires pilots to confirm GPS availability when they file a flight plan in the United States with GPS as the sole means for navigation. ARINC Direct extends this GPS availability information to flights in the rest of the world as well. Based on calculated positions and real-time operational status of GPS satellites, RAIM predictions indicate the quality of GPS satellite signals to be expected along a flight path. This information allows pilots to anticipate periods of reduced GPS functionality, and to adjust flight plans accordingly. ARINC Direct obtains its RAIM prediction data from DW International, a global leader in GPS availability prediction. When ARINC Direct customers create flight plans on-line, ARINC sends the route and waypoint data to DWI. An electronic plan is returned showing when and where GPS outages can be expected. Operators using the new ARINC Direct service may also view a full RAIM prediction report containing additional levels of detail.