Narrative:

I received a garmin 195 GPS as a gift from my wife. This unit includes a long life rechargeable battery so this unit is completely independent and no connections are required between the unit and the aircraft. While flying an MD80 aircraft I have found that it is an excellent supplement to VOR, ADF, and especially radar vectors. It provides a degree of accuracy while flying ar rtes and class ii navigation that I haven't seen since I used to fly with triple mixed INS's on the DC10. In addition, the moving map display offers a degree of situational awareness never imagined. Anyway, I used this unit on several flts. As my proficiency and trust in the unit increased I would request direct from my current position to a distant fix on my route of flight. All the while knowing that I was in an area of radar coverage and never asking for a short cut that is not normally given on a regular basis to anyone. I was always very careful to ensure that ATC understood that I was /a (slant alpha) and not /G or /right. In fact, quite often I would inform ATC that I had a 'hand held GPS' on board, but that I was 'able to go direct.' sometimes ATC would give me a heading until receiving, but most of the time they would just clear me direct. On occasion, ATC would ask for clarification ('are you slant romeo?' or 'are you slant golf?') and I would always clarify that I was /a, not /right or G. When asked, I would tell ATC that it was a 'pocket GPS' or a 'hand held GPS.' using this unit I was impressed at the amount of time and fuel I could save on every leg that ATC was able to assign direct routing. Until I used this GPS, several mi either side of centerline was on course, now if I'm more than 100 ft from centerline I make a correction. After being cleared direct, I haven't had a single ATC call for course correction (even though the wind shifts or the great circle route shifts a degree or two). In my opinion, the sophistication and availability of inexpensive 'hand held' GPS units has outpaced the operational procedures and rules for their use. I honestly thought that it was ok to use them in the cockpit as a source of supplemental information. After all, one of the first rules of basic instrument flying is to use everything that you have available to enhance your situational awareness. Well, enough of the sales pitch. On to the problem. After my last trip I received a call from my boss (assistant chief pilot, MD80). He informed me that ATC had reported to the FAA and they, in turn, reported to him that I had confessed, over the radio, to having a 'hand held GPS' in the cockpit. And believe it or not, this all happened in less than a day! You would think I ran off a runway or something. Of course I admitted to it. I didn't realize that I had done anything wrong. After all, in the navigation section of our flight operations manual it states that we can deviate from our assigned route 'when so cleared by ATC for any reason' and it goes on to describe the plotting requirements when using a GPS. Anyway, my boss pointed out that in the customer service chapter of our (new) flight operations manual (between the sections covering carry-on baggage and passenger announcements), under a section titled portable electronic devices, 'personal GPS equipment' is listed as a portable electronic device that should not be used at any time while onboard the aircraft. Well, since this is the customer service chapter and this very chapter addresses the use of electronic games and personal computers, and since 'personal GPS equipment' is listed after 'transmitters that remotely control toys,' I assumed the restr against its use was referring to the use of a GPS by a passenger in the cabin. After all, the item just above GPS is 'a transmitting device of any type,' and they are obviously not restr from use in the cockpit! Oh well, like I said: 'hand held' GPS units have outpaced the operational rules for their use, especially at this airline. I have turned my $1400 GPS with a full (and updated) data base into a paper weight on my desk at home. It might be time to move the use of 'hand held' GPS units out of the gray areas that they havebeen allowed to exist in and address their industry wide use in the bureaucratic manner that we all know and love. I think they are well worth the effort. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: there has been no further FAA follow up on this incident. However, the reporter states that he believes another pilot reported the incident to his chief pilot, not the FAA. Reporter also states that his first officer was the one who mentioned on the air that they were using the hand held GPS unit. Reporter had been using it only above 10000 ft, outside the sterile cockpit environment and only as supplementary information. Reporter is international qualified and knowledgeable in use of INS and omega equipment so the GPS use was not totally unfamiliar technique. Reporter no longer uses the GPS for flight operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLC USES HAND HELD GPS AS NAV AT CRUISE LEVEL AND IS RPTED BY EITHER ATC OR ANOTHER FLC. CONTACTED BY CHIEF PLT AND ORDERED TO STOP USING THE GPS.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A GARMIN 195 GPS AS A GIFT FROM MY WIFE. THIS UNIT INCLUDES A LONG LIFE RECHARGEABLE BATTERY SO THIS UNIT IS COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT AND NO CONNECTIONS ARE REQUIRED BTWN THE UNIT AND THE ACFT. WHILE FLYING AN MD80 ACFT I HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS AN EXCELLENT SUPPLEMENT TO VOR, ADF, AND ESPECIALLY RADAR VECTORS. IT PROVIDES A DEG OF ACCURACY WHILE FLYING AR RTES AND CLASS II NAV THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN SINCE I USED TO FLY WITH TRIPLE MIXED INS'S ON THE DC10. IN ADDITION, THE MOVING MAP DISPLAY OFFERS A DEG OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS NEVER IMAGINED. ANYWAY, I USED THIS UNIT ON SEVERAL FLTS. AS MY PROFICIENCY AND TRUST IN THE UNIT INCREASED I WOULD REQUEST DIRECT FROM MY CURRENT POS TO A DISTANT FIX ON MY RTE OF FLT. ALL THE WHILE KNOWING THAT I WAS IN AN AREA OF RADAR COVERAGE AND NEVER ASKING FOR A SHORT CUT THAT IS NOT NORMALLY GIVEN ON A REGULAR BASIS TO ANYONE. I WAS ALWAYS VERY CAREFUL TO ENSURE THAT ATC UNDERSTOOD THAT I WAS /A (SLANT ALPHA) AND NOT /G OR /R. IN FACT, QUITE OFTEN I WOULD INFORM ATC THAT I HAD A 'HAND HELD GPS' ON BOARD, BUT THAT I WAS 'ABLE TO GO DIRECT.' SOMETIMES ATC WOULD GIVE ME A HEADING UNTIL RECEIVING, BUT MOST OF THE TIME THEY WOULD JUST CLR ME DIRECT. ON OCCASION, ATC WOULD ASK FOR CLARIFICATION ('ARE YOU SLANT ROMEO?' OR 'ARE YOU SLANT GOLF?') AND I WOULD ALWAYS CLARIFY THAT I WAS /A, NOT /R OR G. WHEN ASKED, I WOULD TELL ATC THAT IT WAS A 'POCKET GPS' OR A 'HAND HELD GPS.' USING THIS UNIT I WAS IMPRESSED AT THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND FUEL I COULD SAVE ON EVERY LEG THAT ATC WAS ABLE TO ASSIGN DIRECT ROUTING. UNTIL I USED THIS GPS, SEVERAL MI EITHER SIDE OF CTRLINE WAS ON COURSE, NOW IF I'M MORE THAN 100 FT FROM CTRLINE I MAKE A CORRECTION. AFTER BEING CLRED DIRECT, I HAVEN'T HAD A SINGLE ATC CALL FOR COURSE CORRECTION (EVEN THOUGH THE WIND SHIFTS OR THE GREAT CIRCLE RTE SHIFTS A DEG OR TWO). IN MY OPINION, THE SOPHISTICATION AND AVAILABILITY OF INEXPENSIVE 'HAND HELD' GPS UNITS HAS OUTPACED THE OPERATIONAL PROCS AND RULES FOR THEIR USE. I HONESTLY THOUGHT THAT IT WAS OK TO USE THEM IN THE COCKPIT AS A SOURCE OF SUPPLEMENTAL INFO. AFTER ALL, ONE OF THE FIRST RULES OF BASIC INST FLYING IS TO USE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO ENHANCE YOUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. WELL, ENOUGH OF THE SALES PITCH. ON TO THE PROB. AFTER MY LAST TRIP I RECEIVED A CALL FROM MY BOSS (ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT, MD80). HE INFORMED ME THAT ATC HAD RPTED TO THE FAA AND THEY, IN TURN, RPTED TO HIM THAT I HAD CONFESSED, OVER THE RADIO, TO HAVING A 'HAND HELD GPS' IN THE COCKPIT. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THIS ALL HAPPENED IN LESS THAN A DAY! YOU WOULD THINK I RAN OFF A RWY OR SOMETHING. OF COURSE I ADMITTED TO IT. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT I HAD DONE ANYTHING WRONG. AFTER ALL, IN THE NAV SECTION OF OUR FLT OPS MANUAL IT STATES THAT WE CAN DEVIATE FROM OUR ASSIGNED RTE 'WHEN SO CLRED BY ATC FOR ANY REASON' AND IT GOES ON TO DESCRIBE THE PLOTTING REQUIREMENTS WHEN USING A GPS. ANYWAY, MY BOSS POINTED OUT THAT IN THE CUSTOMER SVC CHAPTER OF OUR (NEW) FLT OPS MANUAL (BTWN THE SECTIONS COVERING CARRY-ON BAGGAGE AND PAX ANNOUNCEMENTS), UNDER A SECTION TITLED PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES, 'PERSONAL GPS EQUIP' IS LISTED AS A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE THAT SHOULD NOT BE USED AT ANY TIME WHILE ONBOARD THE ACFT. WELL, SINCE THIS IS THE CUSTOMER SVC CHAPTER AND THIS VERY CHAPTER ADDRESSES THE USE OF ELECTRONIC GAMES AND PERSONAL COMPUTERS, AND SINCE 'PERSONAL GPS EQUIP' IS LISTED AFTER 'XMITTERS THAT REMOTELY CTL TOYS,' I ASSUMED THE RESTR AGAINST ITS USE WAS REFERRING TO THE USE OF A GPS BY A PAX IN THE CABIN. AFTER ALL, THE ITEM JUST ABOVE GPS IS 'A XMITTING DEVICE OF ANY TYPE,' AND THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT RESTR FROM USE IN THE COCKPIT! OH WELL, LIKE I SAID: 'HAND HELD' GPS UNITS HAVE OUTPACED THE OPERATIONAL RULES FOR THEIR USE, ESPECIALLY AT THIS AIRLINE. I HAVE TURNED MY $1400 GPS WITH A FULL (AND UPDATED) DATA BASE INTO A PAPER WT ON MY DESK AT HOME. IT MIGHT BE TIME TO MOVE THE USE OF 'HAND HELD' GPS UNITS OUT OF THE GRAY AREAS THAT THEY HAVEBEEN ALLOWED TO EXIST IN AND ADDRESS THEIR INDUSTRY WIDE USE IN THE BUREAUCRATIC MANNER THAT WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE. I THINK THEY ARE WELL WORTH THE EFFORT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER FAA FOLLOW UP ON THIS INCIDENT. HOWEVER, THE RPTR STATES THAT HE BELIEVES ANOTHER PLT RPTED THE INCIDENT TO HIS CHIEF PLT, NOT THE FAA. RPTR ALSO STATES THAT HIS FO WAS THE ONE WHO MENTIONED ON THE AIR THAT THEY WERE USING THE HAND HELD GPS UNIT. RPTR HAD BEEN USING IT ONLY ABOVE 10000 FT, OUTSIDE THE STERILE COCKPIT ENVIRONMENT AND ONLY AS SUPPLEMENTARY INFO. RPTR IS INTL QUALIFIED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE IN USE OF INS AND OMEGA EQUIP SO THE GPS USE WAS NOT TOTALLY UNFAMILIAR TECHNIQUE. RPTR NO LONGER USES THE GPS FOR FLT OPS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.