Several older flight instruments with GPS could be affected by a GPS ‘date rollover’ on 6-7 April 2019.
Joerg Ewald from Volirium and Flytec said that the date rollover – a sort of Y2K re-set bug for GPS that happens every 19.5 years or 1,024 weeks – means affected devices will return to 21 August 1999, unless the software knows how to handle the situation.
The bug may affects older devices that have a GPS module in them.
He said: “Flytec/Bräuniger have used many different GPS modules over the years. One of them, the Fastrax IT321, is affected by the date rollover in April. But also all others will ‘jump back’ over the course of the next six years.
“Therefore we have produced new software versions that make these vario classics immune to all such rollovers, at least until 2038.”
Software updates are available now for these models:
6020/6030 respectively Compe(tin)o+
Joerg said: “Positioning and navigation are not affected in any way, it is really only about the date, which is written into the IGC files in the case of varios, for example.”
He added: “If you enjoy the fact that we are keeping your vario alive, consider donating us a cup of coffee.”
