RE: Navigation in the 1940s: The Four Course Radio Range

I am familiar with this but it has been so long since I first heard about it from my CFI. He was a navigator and pilot in WWII and flew for the airlines after the war. Great thread Brad!
Ted
 
That's pretty neat. Way back when I was in the Army I had to learn Morse code, went to bed many a night with those tones ringing in my ears. Thank goodness I never had to use it. Hard to imagine flying across country with that tone in your ears the whole way.
 
What? you mean there are other ways to navigate than following a pink line on a GPS?

Actually, any of you over the age of 30 have lived in the age of the Radio Range:

"In that at least one LFR survived until 1981 (239 OE near Nome, Alaska), there appears to be..."
http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/346158-four-course-radio-range.html

also: http://www.ask.com/wiki/Low-frequency_radio_range

Now, if you'd like to further your education and test your skill... search "Radio Range" on FlightSim.com (or elsewhere) and you will find a package by Dave Bitzer that enables RR beacons and has the airborne equipment so you can emulate the nav. in a DC-3 (FS2004 - I haven't seen it moved into FSX yet) and additional files setting up the RR 4 in other period aircraft. There is also an overlay for Google Earth that shows the LF airways structure to use with RR 4.
 
LF Range

Hi Brad,

Well, I'll be dogged. I taught this form of navigation to Army pilots at Ft Rucker in the link trainer back in 1958. Flying an orientation problem using the range was cool. Just hairy if you happened to be in a minimum fuel situation. LOL. :salute:.......

Spamnacan
 
I don't remember which sim or version, but there was -many years ago- a sim version which had the "Four Course Radio Range" for navigation. I remember flying it! :)
 
But, can any of you fly a Radio Range Approach while the other pilot holds a burning wooden match stick under your nose?
 
LIGHTED MATCH UNDER THE NOSE WHILE ON APPROACH.

Hey Bone,

As you may know, this actually occured to Ernest K. Gann who was flying right hand seat in a DC-3 during a night and snowy approach to one of his North Eastern airports on his scheduled route during the 1930's. Match holder was the guy in the left hand seat. Testing the concentration of his new co-pilot as was explained by Mr. Gann in his great book, "Fate Is The Hunter". :salute:

Spamnacan........
 
sbp said:
Hey Bone,

As you may know, this actually occured to Ernest K. Gann who was flying right hand seat in a DC-3 during a night and snowy approach to one of his North Eastern airports on his scheduled route during the 1930's. Match holder was the guy in the left hand seat. Testing the concentration of his new co-pilot as was explained by Mr. Gann in his great book, "Fate Is The Hunter". :salute:

Spamnacan........
Click to expand...

Yes sir, I have it on my bookshelf. I re-read it every few years, awesome book.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top