One of the amazing new technologies we have provides the ability to obtain high quality music and information via satellite. Think about it, the 100 plus channels are sent up, bounced off a satellite, and returned back to earth where our little receivers in cars or homes pick up the signal, unscramble it and play very high quality music.
The same technology bundles a separate signal which the receiver in an airplane captures and displays in color on a moving map. The map is driven by a separate satellite derived GPS signal, the same signal used in cars and boats and handlheld GPS for hikers.
The information displayed in the cockpit is a composite of all the national Doppler radar sites. It gives us pilots something we could never get with our on-board weather radar; a picture of the weather anywhere in the country. On-board radar is good for what is in front of the airplane out to about 40-60 miles, but it cannot show what lies behind a rain shower or thunderhead; it might be good weather or a bigger storm to avoid. The satellite signal also gives weather alerts and even TFR- (temporary flight restrictions) so we don't fly into a restricted area that just popped up. TFR's are no fly zones around big fires, presidential flights and other major events.
Flying is safer than ever with these severe weather avoidance tools, not to mention navigation is far more precise with GPS and moving map displays. And yes, I do get satellite radio on the headsets too.Cruising with the tunes playing. Whenever ATC (air traffic control) or another airplane uses the radio, it automatically mutes the music- so you don't miss radio calls or fly past Minneapolis....
All made possible by integrated circuits and ever smaller, more powerful computers. One more thing to be grateful for.
Fred
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