WAAS charts new course in air navigation history
The FAA flipped the switch on its wide-area augmentation system (WAAS) at 12:01 a.m.

The FAA flipped the switch on its wide-area augmentation system (WAAS) at 12:01 a.m. on July 10, potentially opening up thousands of runways at 5,400 public-use airports for near-precision approaches in both lateral and vertical guidance modes.

Some 500 approaches to more than 200 airports have already been charted, and as soon as the avionics are certified, properly equipped aircraft will be able to shoot GPS approaches down to 350 feet and one-mile visibility. Two manufacturers already have IFR-certified WAAS receivers for the Lnav mode and expect to have certification for vertical navigation within several months.