Southwest Airlines, starting tomorrow, will use satellite-based navigation technology when it lands at many larger airports. The upgrades made by Southwest in cockpit hardware and software will allow their pilots to shoot RNP approaches. These approaches are laid out in a way to be more efficient. So efficient that the routes will require less time and allow for longer glides from altitude to touchdown with engines at idle.
Southwest isn’t the first to use these approaches, but they are by far the largest. Below is an RNAV (RDP) approach plate showing the flight path for Chicago’s Midway airport.
The full article is here.
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