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GPS time confusion

PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 5:01 pm
by alb469
Correct me if I am wrong but the eta block in the gps shows destination local time I believe. Had a recent flight were the local time was way off. So we tried to recreate it. Set up a flight from  Andrews AFB to Algiers VFR. Algiers is 6 hours ahead of Andrews time. Est. flight time was approx 8 hours. Takeoff time was 10:30 a.m. Time in Algiers would have been 17:30 ,allowing 8 hrs for the flight eta should have been around 1:30 am local time. after getting airborne setting course and getting to the flight plan ground speed the gps showed eta at 18:15 local time. Is my understanding of the GPS eta incorrect or has FS9 got its time zones mixed up. Hope some expert navigator can explain this to me.   :P

Re: GPS time confusion

PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 5:04 pm
by Nexus
Sure that the GPS doesnt give you zulu time?

Re: GPS time confusion

PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 6:59 pm
by garymbuska
Time zones has been one of fs9's downfall. They are not very acurate. There is a freware program you can down load from www.AVSIM.com that corrects the time zone problems fs9 has 8)

Re: GPS time confusion

PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 9:51 am
by alb469
Thanks. Will give it a try.

Re: GPS time confusion

PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 8:59 pm
by Hussein Patwa
Hi. Just to confirm.  GPS time is current time at place of departure.  However, many panels show the time as local time (current time) at current location, so the time will be accurate for your position at any given point on your route.  Haven't seen a panel that gives all the info in one place like the monitors on board long haul flights, i.e the outside temp info, time at departure, time at present, time at destination, distance travelled, distance remaining, current weather, weather at destination ec.  If there was a guage that had this all in one that would be absolutely fantastic.  If anyone knows of one do post it here.

To prove my point about the GPS, I'm currently on a flight from LLBG (Tel Aviv) to EGLL (Heathrow). Distance is 3369km.  Time of Departure: 03:35 (Israel Standard Time), expected time of arrival: 02:40, (Greenwich ~Mean Time).  NO I can't see how the maths adds up either, as it's working out at bout 4:30 hours flying time at 0.81 mach.  But oh well.  Just goes to show.  GPS is time at departure airport, annoying as hell for long haul flights.

Hussein.