Avionics and Aircraft Instrumentation

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Automated Processes and Servomechanisms.. . . 156 Avionics and Aircraft Instrumentation.162... 

Commercial and Industry Sectors. The major consumers of flight instrumentation and avionics are aircraft manufacturers and airlines. In the United States, Boeing is the foremost commercial manufacturer for civilian as well as military aircraft, while Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopter, and Northrop Grumman produce military aircraft. In Europe, Airbus is the major aircraft manufacturer. 

Flight instrumentation refers to the instruments that provide information to a pilot about the position of the aircraft in relation to the Earth s horizon. The term avionics is a contraction of aviation and electronics and has come to refer to the combination of communication and navigational devices in an aircraft. This term was coined in the 1970 s after the systems were becoming one integral system. 

Military INS and GPS Uses. Flight instrumentation and avionics are used by military aircraft as well as civilian aircraft, but the military have many other applications. INS is used in guided missiles and submarines. It can also be used as a stand-alone navigational system in vehicles that do not want to communicate with outside sources for security purposes. INS and GPS are used in bombs, rockets, and, with great success, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are used for reconnaissance as well as delivering ordnance without placing a pilot in harm s way. GPS is used in almost all military vehicles such as tanks, ships, armored vehicles, and cars, but not in submarines as the satellite signals will not penetrate deep water. GPS is also used by the United States Nuclear Detonation Detection System as the satellites carry nuclear detonation detectors. 

Maintenance and avionics technicians install and repair flight instruments and avionics. They may work on general aviation airplanes, commercial airliners, or military aircraft. With more and more modes of transportation using INS and GPS, mechanics and technicians may also be employed to install and repair these systems on other types of vehicles—ships, trains, guided missiles, tanks, or UAVs. NASA and private companies employ technicians to work with spacecraft. Most of these positions require an associate s degree with specialization as an aircraft or avionics technician, or the training may be acquired in the military. 

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