Definition
An onboard data file stored in a GPS navigation receiver that contains the navigation information the unit needs to operate, including airports, runways, navaids, waypoints, airways, and instrument approach procedures. The database is issued on a fixed revision cycle (typically every 28 days) by the equipment manufacturer or a data provider, and must be current and appropriate for the equipment for the GPS to be used for IFR navigation and approaches.
Plain English
It is the GPS unit's stored library of airports, navaids, waypoints, and approaches. The pilot must check before flight that this stored information is up to date.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight when checking the aircraft’s GPS unit, confirming the database date, loading a route, or selecting an instrument approach.
Derivation
GPS stands for Global Positioning System, the satellite-based system that tells the receiver where it is. A database is an organized store of information. Together, GPS database means the organized aviation information the GPS uses after it knows the aircraft’s position.
Why Pilots Care
An outdated database can provide incorrect waypoints or prevent loading valid approaches, affecting navigation accuracy and safety.
Analogy
It is like the map data in a car navigation system. The receiver may still know where you are, but if the stored map is old, it may guide you using information that has changed.
Intuition Check
Do not assume the GPS database updates itself in flight or always shows the latest aviation information. It is a stored data set with an effective date, and the pilot must check that date before relying on it.
Example Sentence 1
During preflight, the pilot confirmed the GPS database was current before filing the RNAV approach into the destination.
Example Sentence 2
The crew updated the GPS database so the approach waypoints would display correctly in the cockpit.