For many years, passengers have been told that some electronic devices, including cell phones, can interfere with aircraft navigation and communication signals.
This digital elevation model (DEM) will be put to myriad uses - everything from improving the safety of aircraft navigation to understanding better which areas of ground are most at risk during a flood.
"I can influence the guidance and navigation of the aircraft, " he told the BBC, adding that the system had "limitations".
During flight operations the captain can normally be found on the bridge directly involved in the mechanics of positioning and preparing the ship for launch and recovery of aircraft, ensuring the safe navigation of the ship and overseeing flight deck operations.
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With the aircraft's fuel pump, navigation equipment and radio paralysed, the pilots glided the plane to a lower altitude and landed it on an airfield near the village of Izhma in the Komi region, about 1, 500 km (930 miles) from Moscow.
Honeywell executives, who haven't previously discussed the project publicly, say the system uses onboard computers and navigation devices to automatically control aircraft movements on the ground.
The opto chip's speed also stands to benefit businesses that transmit large amounts of data around the globe, and the military could use it to improve navigation systems for ships and aircraft.
Each of the department heads is an expert in one of the major ship departmental functions: Ship Operations, Intelligence, Propulsion, Engineering, Combat Systems, Supply, Air Operations, Aircraft Maintenance, Safety, Training, Navigation, Religious Ministries and Medical.
FORBES: What Is It Like To Be The Commanding Officer Of An Aircraft Carrier?
The crew were flying their twin-engined aircraft on a night-time cross country navigation exercise out of RAF Kinloss in Moray on 13 April.
Precise satellite navigation could remove the need for aircraft to fly longer routes that were partly designed around the old system of ground-radio beacons.
The aircraft has terrain-following radar and GPS satellite navigation.
But America's fears are economic as well as military: it suspects that the EU might try, for instance, requiring aircraft entering its air space to use Galileo-based navigation systems, to the detriment of American firms with products based on GPS. And European countries, China and the like might develop weapons that are compatible with Galileo rather than GPS, which would mean American defence firms losing a competitive advantage.
This hardware was used to build a simulated aircraft that ran many of the systems found on commercial aircraft and could swap data via radio with the air traffic and navigation systems used in the real world.
Under safety regulations, tall buildings must have navigation lights on top to make them visible to low-flying aircraft, he said.
With permission from air-traffic controllers who are monitoring any other aircraft in the area, it's not dangerous for pilots to divert from prescribed navigation paths.
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