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7 Answers

ICAO flight plan equipment codes /G vs. /R

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FAA Regulations

My understanding is that, in order to file /G on an ICAO flight plan, the GPS must be an IFR approved GPS. 

In the US, according to AIM 1-1-17….

  • (5) Aircraft navigating by IFR-approved GPS are considered to be performance-based navigation (PBN) aircraft and have special equipment suffixes.

In the US, according to AC 90-105A….

  • 2.1 Approval for RNAV (GPS) or GPS Approaches. Aircraft with approval to conduct RNAV (GPS) or GPS approaches meet the performance and functional requirements in this AC for RNP APCH instrument approaches without RF legs.  

Using an ICAO flight plan, in what situation would one file /G, but NOT /R?

Thanks,

Craig

7 Answers



  1. Russ Roslewski on Sep 21, 2019

    If you had a GPS that was only approved for IFR enroute operations, but not approaches. For GA, some of the older units were limited this way, such as the Apollo GX-55.

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  2. John D Collins on Sep 21, 2019

    Just an additional point, the /G designation is an equipment code for the FAA/Domestic flightplan form and is a single character that is part of field 3 Aircraft Type/Special Equipment. The ICAO form has its own field for equipment, field 10. Field 10 is broken into two parts 10a and 10b. 10a is used to specify Navigation and other equipment and 10b is used to specify surveillance equipment such as transponder and ADS-B. The two fields are separated by a single forward slash. Multiple codes may be specified in 10a and in 10b. The most common codes for 10a are:
    S – Standard equipment (VOR, ILS, and VHF Com)
    G – GPS (enroute and terminal)
    D – DME
    F – ADF
    R – PBN equipped (PBN codes must be specified in field 18 after PBN/)
    The most common 10b codes are:
    A – Mode A transponder
    C – Mode A/C transponder
    S – Mode S transponder
    E – Mode S transponder with ES
    B1 – ADS-B Out via 1090ES
    B2 – ADS-B Out and ADS-B In via 1090ES
    U1 – ADS-B Out via UAT
    U2 – ADS-B Out and ADS-B In via UAT

    An aircraft that would use /G on the FAA Domestic form would code 10a/b on the ICAO form
    SG/C

    If they had ADS-B Out via a GTX 345 the coding would change to:
    SG/CB2 or SG/EB2

    On either the obsolete FAA/Domestic form or the ICAO form, the FAA does use any approach capability codes even though the ICAO form provides the ability to do so. The only time R needs to be specified in field 10a is if the GPS is capable of flying an RNAV SID/ODP/STAR, in which case one would also file with PBN/D2 in field 18.

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  3. Craig on Sep 21, 2019

    I figured the G vs. R on the ICAO flight plan part 10a had something to do with enroute/terminal vs. approach or older GPS units, just couldn’t find anything indicating that specifically. I came (luckily) into flying with the newer GPS units.

    Thank you gentlemen.

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  4. John D Collins on Sep 22, 2019

    Craig,

    With ICAO, R in 10a is used to specify PBN capabilities. It is always used hand in hand with PBN/ specifications in field 18. If you specify R in 10a, you MUST specify at least one PBN specification in field 18 and the reverse is true. if you specify a PBN/ specification in 18, you MUST specify both R and any dependent navigation sensor in 10a. With PBN (Performance Based Navigation), one specifies a navigation specification and one or more RNAV capable sensors. GPS is a a sensor that is RNAV capable as is DME-DME or Inertial Navigation. LORAN used to be an RNAV sensor, but is no longer in use in the USA.

    There are three main RNAV PBN specifications that are of use to piston aircraft in the US. Each PBN code has a letter descriptor identifying the specification and a numeric value designating the sensor that achieves the specification. As an example, there is a PBN code for RNAV 5 and it is designated with the letter B. The RNAV 5 specification says you must be able to navigate point to point along a course within +/- 5 NM of the center of the course, 95% of the time. The other 5%, you need to be correcting back to the center of the course.to be within the 5 NM specification. Courses based on any RNAV specification will include double the RNAV specification, so obstacles are protected +/- 2 times the RNAV number.

    The three main RNAV PBN specifications for navigation are RNAV 5, RNAV 2, and RNAV 1. RNAV 5 (B) is for basic point to point navigation. RNAV 2 (C) is for RNAV airways such as T and Q routes. RNAV 1 (D) is for RNAV SID and RNAV STAR procedures.

    Using RNAV 5 as an example, the PBN code is B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, or B6. The number specifies the sensor type

    1 – All Sensors
    2 – GPS Sensor
    3 – DME/DME Sensor
    4 – VOR/DME Sensor
    5 – INS/IRS Sensor
    6 – LORAN Sensor

    So B2 is the PBN code for RNAV 5 using a GPS Sensor.

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  5. Craig on Oct 04, 2019

    Wanted to revisit this question after reading some additional material, not that the answer is important, it just seems that in the US, the G and R equipment codes seem redundant…..

    According to the ICAO Filing with ForeFlight: Quick Reference Guide, in field 10a one would use “G” (GNSS) for “Any form of installed GPS capability (WAAS or non-WAAS) that is approved for IFR.”.

    In the US, according to AIM 1-1-17….
    • (5) Aircraft navigating by IFR-approved GPS are considered to be performance-based navigation (PBN) aircraft and have special equipment suffixes.

    So, in block 10a of the ICAO flight plan, “G” = IFR approved GPS = PBN = “R”.

    For example, even if one had an IFR approved GPS (has to have RAIM for IFR) that was only approved for enroute ops (no approaches), since it’s an IFR approved GPS, it is PBN (per AIM) and should have a PBN code, maybe at least a B2 (maybe D2 if it could also be used for terminal phase)?

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  6. CarsonAviation on Oct 12, 2019

    The key thing here is that the old FAA forms only accepted a single letter suffix for equipment capabilities, while the ICAO form can take several.

    For instance, we used to file as a “PA46 /G” on a Piper Malibu that had Mode C + DME + Garmin GNS530W. Now, on the ICAO form, we file as a “PA46 /SBDGRS” with “PBN/ B2C2D2” for the same airplane.

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  7. CarsonAviation on Oct 12, 2019

    Oops. Extra “S” in there. Should be “PA46 /SBDGR” for equipment code.

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