Method and system for determining the position of an aircraft during its approach to a landing runway

A guidance system for an aircraft, the guidance system comprising:

• means for selecting an approach in anticipation of a landing on a runway;
• means configured for receiving signals from a GNSS satellite navigation system;
• a processing unit for determining the aircraft position information starting from said signals received from the GNSS satellite navigation system;
• an aircraft guidance means configured for receiving from the processing unit said aircraft position information and for producing signals for guiding the aircraft along a final approach path corresponding with the selected approach, in function of said position information,
• means for determining, prior to the start of the final approach, a first time tFAF corresponding with the start of said final approach and a second time tTD corresponding with the landing of the aircraft on said runway;
• and
• means for determining, prior to the start of the final approach, a set of satellites of said satellite navigation system to be excluded from the calculation of said aircraft position information during at least a part of the time interval comprised between said first and second times;
• wherein, said processing unit is configured to determine the aircraft position information, during the final approach, while excluding the information corresponding with the satellites of said set of satellites.

An aircraft comprising a guidance system, said guidance system comprising:

• means for selecting an approach in anticipation of a landing on a runway;
• means configured for receiving signals from a GNSS satellite navigation system;
• a processing unit for determining the aircraft position information starting from said signals received from the GNSS satellite navigation system;
• an aircraft guidance means configured for receiving from the processing unit said aircraft position information and for producing signals for guiding the aircraft along a final approach path corresponding with the selected approach, in function of said position information,
• means for determining, prior to the start of the final approach, a first time tFAF corresponding with the start of said final approach and a second time tTD corresponding with the landing of the aircraft on said runway;
• and
• means for determining, prior to the start of the final approach, a set of satellites of said satellite navigation system to be excluded from the calculation of said aircraft position information during at least a part of the time interval comprised between said first and second times;
• wherein, said processing unit is configured to determine the aircraft position information, during the final approach, while excluding the information corresponding with the satellites of said set of satellites.