GPS jamming is making VOR a quiet selling point for used aircraft

Pre-owned inventory is nearing a decade low. AMSTAT's first-quarter 2026 report put pre-owned aircraft at roughly 5.9% of the active fleet, well below the 10-year average of 7.3%. As inventory tightens, buyers are paying closer attention to the smaller details before they sign. GPS navigation tends to sit at the top of most watch lists. The twist is that ground-based VOR guidance, the technology GPS was supposed to replace, now deserves a second look. A safety net that's shrinking on schedule The VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) now acts as more of a safety net for when GPS is unavailable. However, around 308 stations will be decommissioned by 2030 with 589 remaining in service.? GPS is the main navigation system used in aviation nowadays, but is susceptible to jamming and subsequent loss of the aircraft's location position fix. Of note, on May 13, 2026, a Beechcraft King Air collided with a New Mexico mountain ridge while attempting an instrument approach at night. The NTSB preliminary report notes that the aircraft's approach was in the vicinity of a White Sands Missile Range, which was conducting GPS jamming exercises at the time. The report does not assign a cause, and the final report is likely a year away. Which aircraft are exposed, and what makes one resilient Large-cabin jets generally ride out a GPS outage on an inertial reference system (IRS). Gyroscopes and accelerometers track the aircraft's position without any outside signal, so there is nothing to jam. Most large-cabin business jets carry IRS as standard. Most smaller aircraft do not. Aircraft like Citations, King Airs, TBMs, PC-12 and M-class do not typically have backup and rely on VHF (Very High Frequency) navigation, which uses radio signals. To make these aircraft more resilient, you will need dual WAAS GPS, which uses satellites to sharpen GPS accuracy. A dual system means two independent receivers, so if one fails, the aircraft will not lose navigation. Another redundancy is DME, which measures slant-range distance from a ground station and supports area navigation when GPS is out. Other systems that make an aircraft jamming resistant include current VHF nav, ADS-B and ILS, where the type offers it.?? Why it matters for buyers and sellers Navigation redundancy is a fair thing for buyers to consider when deciding between two similar aircraft. Along with being an important safety feature, it still is a critical link to the VOR network, even as it thins. Sellers and brokers should document these systems in their listings rather than treat them as legacy clutter. The technology GPS was meant to replace is quietly making a comeback, and an aircraft that can navigate without a satellite fix may suddenly have more ramp appeal than ever.