Which four items does GPS provide to the pilot?

• A. Track, bearing, groundspeed, and distance
• B. Altitude, airspeed, heading, vertical speed
• C. Position, time, course, and altitude
• D. Distance, altitude, heading, and climb rate

Answer: (A)

GPS gives you real-time navigation data that you use to stay on course and judge progress. The four items you typically see are track, bearing, groundspeed, and distance. Track is the direction you’re actually moving over the ground, which can differ from your heading because of wind. Bearing is the direction from your current position to the selected fix or waypoint you’re navigating toward. Groundspeed is how fast you’re traveling over the ground, calculated from changes in position over time. Distance is how far you are from the next waypoint, which helps you gauge ETA and when to turn. Altitude and vertical speed come from other instruments or systems, not GPS, so they aren’t part of the standard GPS navigation data set.