Radio Navigation in North America … the next 25 Years

Abstract

ON MAY16~~ OF THIS YEAR the Secretary. of the Department of Transportation authorized the announcement of the selection of Loran-C as the radio navigation system to serve the coastal confluence region. He also instructed that the titional plan for navigation be amended to reflect this decision, thereby ending a long period of uncertainty in U. S. policy relating .to radio navigational aids. The decision will permit firm plans to be made by both users and manufacturers to derive the best cost benefits from the various radio navigation systems now sponsored by the federal government. This paper explores the impact of the decisions to provide for the co-existence of Loran-C and Omega hyperbolic systems with an orderly phase-out of the Loran-A network. The paper also discusses the current VORTAC and VLF/LF beacon systems in relation to the availability of hyperbolic systems having extensive coverage. A comparison of costs and accuracy of the various systems is provided. A bibliography of reference material is included.

Differential Omega in the Domestic Air Traffic Control Environment

“…The existing LF/MF beacon system (NDBs) does not provide complete coverage of the domestic airspace (Ref. 10).…”