Plane trajectory with GPS for airborne gravimetry

Abstract: In order to improve the French geoid in the Corsican area an airborne gravimetric survey was carried out in close co-operation between KMS, Bergen University, ESGT, IGN and INSU. Gravimetric Data were positioned using GPS. Aboard the plane, two receivers are connected to a single antenna. On ground four receivers are set on the French Riviera coast and two in Corsica. Tra-jectories were computed several times, with each reference station in the direct and reverse way with GRAFNAV software. The baselines length reaches several hundred kilometres. The solutions are com-pared and combined, and give a good estimate of position, velocity and acceleration accuracy. The accuracy in position is better than 10 cm in hori-zontal absolute position and 20 cm in height. In relative positioning the accuracy is to cm-level. Therefore we get precise velocity and acceleration. The GPS computations are explained further down and the results of comparison between different computations of the same trajectory is summarised in position, velocity and acceleration for each tra-jectory