How does DME work?

Question

How does DME work?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To analyze how DME works, let's examine each statement in turn and connect it to how DME functions in aviation navigation.

Option 1: 'Shooting a signal to the station that bounces back to the airplane (Slant Range)'. This aligns with the fundamental DME process: the aircraft transmits an interrogation signal to a ground-based DME transponder (the station), the station responds, and the elapsed time is used to compute the slant range distance between aircraft and station. This describes the bidirectional nature (two-way communication) and the measurement of range, which is the core of DME operation.

Option 2: 'Shooting a one-way signal to the station'. A true DME exchange requires two-way communication: an interrogation from the aircraft and a reply from the ground station. A solely one-way signal does not provide the necessary round-trip time to compute distance, so this statement misses a critical component of DME.

Option 3: 'Receiving a signal from the station'. While receiving signals is a part of the system, DME distance information is derived from the time difference between the aircraft's interrogation and the station's response, i.e., a two-way exchange rather than simply receiving signals. Merely receiving does not capture the complete mechanism by which distance is calculated.

Putting it together, the description in Option 1 captures the correct two-way interaction and the idea of computing distance (slant range) from the round-trip signal, whereas Options 2 and 3 omit the essential interrogate/respond sequence and the timing that yields the distance measurement. The emphasis on 'Slant Range' reflects the actual line-of-sight distance accounting for altitude between aircraft and ground station, which is central to DME readings.

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How does DME work?

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