Definition
An onboard device or system that determines the aircraft's location, typically by reference to satellite signals (GPS/GNSS), ground-based navigation aids (VOR/DME), or inertial reference systems. Position sensors feed continuous location data to the flight management system and other avionics for navigation, guidance, and surveillance.
Plain English
Equipment on the aircraft that figures out where the airplane is and keeps telling the rest of the avionics that location.
Context Anchor
Seen in NextGen and navigation discussions when an aircraft’s location is measured onboard and used by cockpit systems or sent to air traffic control.
Derivation
Position comes from a Latin word meaning “placement.” Sensor comes from a Latin word meaning “to feel” or “to perceive.” Together, the term means a device that perceives or measures where something is placed.
Why Pilots Care
It supplies the accurate location data required for reduced separation, efficient routing, and safe operations in modern airspace.
Intuition Check
Do not read “position sensor” here as a simple switch that only tells whether a part is up, down, open, or closed. In this NextGen context, it means equipment that determines the aircraft’s actual location.
Example Sentence 1
After the GPS position sensor lost signal, the crew reverted to VOR navigation to continue the route.
Example Sentence 2
During the approach the crew monitored the position sensor to confirm the aircraft stayed on the published path.