WAAS Speech Outline (Wed 9-18-07)

Informative Speech 1

Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)

John Dale

Introduction:

(Slide 1)
(Slide 2)

Attention Getter: Imagine you are stuck in a traffic jam and suddenly need
assistance for one of your older family members who is
having a heart attack in the back seat. Unless you know
your exact position it could take a lot of time for
emergency assistance to find you. Even if your car is
equipped with current GPS enabled On Star system, your
position will only be pinpointed to within 35 feet or a
total of around 30 cars. If you have the new wide area
augmentation system (WAAS) available on your GPS,
authorities would be able to locate the exact position of
your individual car and assist you quickly. This could
save vital time and could be the difference between life
and death for your family member.

Preview Statement: In this presentation I will start off by describing how
WAAS works and conclude by showing some applications of
this system in the aviation industry and in automobiles.

Transition: GPS technology has become an everyday element of our lives. It
is used in some of the cars or aircraft we travel on and in the
GPS guided tractor that plants the food we eat. WAAS builds off
of the current GPS system by using its satellite network but
incorporates some key differences.

(Slide 3)

Body:

I. The description of the WAAS system in the “Wide Area Augmentation”
Wikipedia article does a good job of describing the system as consisting
of a space segment, a ground segment and a user segment.

A. The space segment consists of satellites orbiting the earth.

1. The FAA Airman’s Information Manual states that the GPS
constellation consists of 24 satellites.

2. According to the FAA website a minimum of four satellites
are needed to be in view in order to establish a 3D
location but five are required to ensure RAIM or the
integrity of the signals.

3. One way the WAAS system differs from the GPS system is
that it does not require RAIM but instead incorporates
two geostationary satellites located above the equator
that receive signals from the ground segment of the
system.

B. The ground segment of the system consists of reference and master
stations located throughout the United States.

(http://www.freeflightsystems.com/waas_howitworks.htm then Slide 4)

1. According to the Garmin GPS manufacturer’s website, WAAS
incorporates the use of 25 ground reference stations
across the United States that monitor GPS satellite data.

2. The ground reference stations (WRS) then send their
signals to Wide Area Master Stations (WMS) which make
corrections to the signals.

3. The Wide Area Master Stations send a signal to the
Ground Uplink Stations (GUS) which transmits the
information to the geostationary satellites over the
equator.

C. The geostationary satellites send the corrected signal to the
receivers in the aircraft and vehicles that make up the user
segment of the system.

(Slide 5)

1. According to the FAA website the WAAS information is
broadcast on the same frequency as the GPS signals.

2. Interpreting the WAAS information requires a WAAS
receiver and a compatible antenna.

3. According to Garmin and Magellan websites, their
original GPS units cannot be upgraded to include WAAS
capabilities.

Transition: Now that we know how the WAAS system works lets look at how this
system can be used.

II. The increased reliability and accuracy of WAAS provides benefits for
both aircraft and ground vehicles.

A. The FAA website states that WAAS is capable of providing
vertical and horizontal guidance to aircraft within 3 – 6
feet in comparison to the GPS unit which only provided
horizontal guidance within 35 – 40 feet.

1. The FAA’s Instrument Procedures Handbook states
that the accuracy of the WAAS system allows
aircraft to utilize its vertical guidance
capabilities on approaches down to 200 feet above
the runway with only ½ statute mile visibility.

2. These improvements in performance will provide many
benefits to the aviation industry as shown on this slide.

(Slide 6)

B. The FAA states on their website that they have been contacted by
both General Motors and Daimler Chrysler regarding implementing
WAAS capabilities into their upcoming automobiles.

1. GM has mentioned implementing WAAS capabilities into
their 2008 models' On Star systems.

2. Daimler Chrysler also contacted the FAA about using the
WAAS system for their future intelligent cars which would
require the increased navigational accuracy provided by
WAAS.

Review Statement and Closing:

(Slide 7)

Review Statement: I have now presented how the WAAS system works and how it
can be used in aviation and ground vehicles.

Closing: Be on the lookout for this technology as it is implemented in the
transportation infrastructure. Your life could be in its hands in
the near future.

Works Cited

“About GPS.” Garmin. 17 September 2007. <http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/ waas.html>.

“GNSS – Frequently Asked Questions – WAAS.” Federal Aviation Administration. 13 June 2007. 17 September 2007. <http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/ service_units/techops/navservices/gnss/faq/waas/>.

“Product Comparison Results.” Magellan. 17 September 2007. <http://www.magellangps.com/ProductFinder/comparison_results.asp? PRODUCT_LIST=1881,1880,1872,1873,1874>.

United States Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration. Federal Aviation Regulations/Aeronautical Information Manual 2007. Newcastle: Aviation Supplies and Academics, 2007.

United States Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration. Instrument ProceduresHandbook. Washington: GPO, 2004.

“WAAS Factsheet.” Free Flight Systems. 17 September 2007. <http://www.freeflightsystems.com/waas_factsheet.htm>.

“Wide Area Augmentation System.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 10 September 2007. 17 September 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Wide_Area_Augmentation_System>.