Definition
In navigation systems, integrity is the measure of trust that can be placed in the correctness of the information supplied by the system, including its ability to provide timely warnings to the user when the system should not be used for navigation.
Plain English
How much you can trust that your navigation system is telling you the truth, and how quickly it warns you if something has gone wrong and you should stop relying on it.
Context Anchor
Seen in navigation equipment, satellite navigation, and instrument flying discussions where a pilot must know whether the displayed guidance can be relied on.
Derivation
From the Latin integritas, meaning 'wholeness' or 'soundness.' In navigation, the word keeps that core sense: a system has integrity when its information is sound, and when it can tell you the moment that soundness breaks down.
Why Pilots Care
Loss of integrity means the system may deliver undetected errors, forcing the pilot to switch to an alternate navigation source to avoid deviations or terrain conflicts.
Intuition Check
Integrity does not mean honesty or moral character here. In this context, it means monitored trustworthiness: the system can warn you in time when its navigation information should not be used.
Example Sentence 1
GPS receivers certified for IFR approaches must meet strict integrity requirements so the pilot is alerted within seconds if the position information becomes unreliable.
Example Sentence 2
When integrity is lost on final approach, the pilot must discontinue the GPS procedure and revert to an alternate navigation aid.