The Australian Strategic Air Traffic Management Group (ASTRA) this week published guidelines for SouthPAN, the space-based augmentation system planned for Australia and New Zealand.
SouthPAN will increase accuracy of GNSS systems from the current 5-10 metres down to as little as 100 mm, providing capability for GNSS approaches with vertical guidance to LPV and LNAV/VNAV PBN RNP APCH approaches in supported areas.
The document is a set of generic guidelines intended to assist aircraft and aerodrome operators plan for the implementation of SBAS approaches with vertical guidance, a capability that will come when SouthPAN goes online in 2028.
"Australia and New Zealand governments are jointly implementing a Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS), known as the Southern Positioning Augmentation System (SouthPAN)," the document states. "It will provide four services:
i. L1 SBAS1 aviation-certified Safety-of-Life Service;
ii. L1 SBAS Open Service;
iii. Dual Frequency Multi-Constellation (DFMC) SBAS Open Service; and
iv. Precise Point Positioning (PPP) service.
"Currently, only the L1 SBAS Safety-of-Life (SOL) Service is intended for aviation use. In the future, it is expected that emerging international standards and products will enable derivative aviation applications of the DFMC Open Service.
"The L1 SBAS SOL Service is being developed to comply with Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)."
SouthPAN is currently under construction by the Australian Federal Government through Geoscience Australia (GA), and the New Zealand Government through Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ).
Construction of two ground stations is already underway at Invercargill, NZ, and Uralla, NSW.
ASTRA's guidelines include the types of approaches available when SouthPAN is online and the avionics required to take advantage of the more accurate positioning.
It also covers expected NOTAM formats, flight planning, procedures, charts, AIP changes, aerodrome requirements and helicopter operations.
The full document is available for download from the ASTRA website.