EASA NAV(A)basic
An Inertial Navigation System (INS) uses gyroscopes and _____ to measure aircraft motion.
Answer
accelerometers
Explanation
### Why this is right
An INS uses gyroscopes to measure rotation and accelerometers to measure acceleration. Together, these sensors provide the motion information from which the system estimates speed, heading, distance, and position.
### The concept
The system starts from a known position where it has been aligned. It then uses measurements along the aircraft’s axes to estimate how the aircraft has moved. Unlike GNSS, it does not need external signals to continue calculating its estimated position. However, measurement errors build up over time, so the estimate gradually becomes less accurate.
### Terms
- **Inertial Navigation System (INS)**: a self-contained navigation system based on onboard motion sensors.
- **Gyroscope**: a sensor that measures rotation.
- **Accelerometer**: a sensor that measures acceleration.
### Remember
Gyroscopes measure rotation; accelerometers measure acceleration.
Related Questions
- Arrange the described GNSS position process in order: receive satellite signals; measure distances to satellites; combine the distance measurements by trilateration; determine geographic coordinates and show the aircraft on the device map.(intermediate)
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- Visual Flight Rules (VFR) navigation relies on visual references, so it depends on visibility adequate for the pilot to identify those references.(basic)
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