LFR Flight

Find out more before you buy, or chat to other Bobcat pilots!
(No support requests please)
Locked
dggoofy
Posts: 43
Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 1:14 am
LFR Flight

Post by dggoofy » Wed Dec 21, 2016 6:41 pm

Hi all,

I flew some very nice IFR flights with LFR. Successfully! So great! I imagine how hard it was in the 40's to fly in such a way. Above all, the poor radio officer, who had to listen to a continuous sound. He certainly had -. or .- in mind the whole day than hihi... :D

Yea! I'm very happy with the Bobcat. It's not the most beautifull shape, but it's very funny to fly. Thanks Milviz!

Daniel

Dutch
Posts: 101
Joined: Sat Dec 14, 2013 5:32 pm
Re: LFR Flight

Post by Dutch » Thu Dec 22, 2016 6:29 am

dggoofy wrote:Hi all,

I flew some very nice IFR flights with LFR. Successfully! So great! I imagine how hard it was in the 40's to fly in such a way. Above all, the poor radio officer, who had to listen to a continuous sound. He certainly had -. or .- in mind the whole day than hihi... :D

Daniel
Thank you Daniel!

It's interesting how the system of beam stations came about. There was a big debate about whether the system should have a visual indicator in the cockpit, or be done with aural tones only. The visual came first, in the late 1920s, with the "vibrating reed" display which indicated if you were on course or not.

But ultimately, the decision came down to politics and the decision was made because one influential man wanted the aural system: because he didn't want the additional expense and trouble of installing special equipment in every airplane that used the system. The LFRR can be used by anyone with a radio that can tune in the frequencies and the transmitters were cheap using well known existing technology. Also, he reasoned, with the visual system there was no way to verify the station.

BUT...the cost is that the poor pilot has to listen to the constant high-pitched Morse codes for hours. Flying the airways system in the 1930-40 time period, whether IFR or VFR, if you were to stay on the airway, you had to follow the beam. And to file an IFR plan with Airways Traffic Control (the original ATC, sans radar) you had to specify a route from range to range on the approved airway system.

Imagine doing that every day...I bet those guys started to dream in N's and A's.

Dutch

Background on how the decision was made: http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/000/700/744/JAT_8-2-7.pdf

Sample quote:

"The tests slated to begin in 1931 were delayed, in part, due to dissention
between the Radio Laboratory and the Airways Division. In confidential
notes the Radio Laboratory was disturbed that Hingsburg was openly
critical of the visual indication system. Hingsburg believed the visual
beacon was too expensive and that pilots would have problems identifying
which beacon should be followed because the identification feature would
not be heard by the pilot. “It is, therefore, the intention of the Airways
Division to install a system of aural radio range beacons,” that were
proven. Aural beacons were cheaper and could be installed quickly while
the visual system was prototyped. “The cost of the 40 aural radio beacon
transmitters at $2,500 each is about the value of a modern passenger air
liner,” he pointed out."

Dutch
Posts: 101
Joined: Sat Dec 14, 2013 5:32 pm
Re: LFR Flight

Post by Dutch » Thu Dec 22, 2016 6:52 am

You may find this interesting and useful. This is a map of the Civil Airways in the US and Canada, dated September 1, 1948. All routes are shown with mileages between stations and other details.

However, note that some of the the IDs shown on this chart do not match the station IDs we are using. They might have been changed post-war. Also some routes and stations are on here we don't have. Amber 9, for instance, did not exist in 1944-45 but did in 1948.

http://fscaptain.net/downloads/00-9-1948.jpg

Dutch

Raptor
Posts: 411
Joined: Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:07 am
Re: LFR Flight

Post by Raptor » Thu Dec 22, 2016 2:22 pm

Wow Dutch! That will really help when flying the old gal the old way! Really looking forward to doing it! Although I might mute the radio from time to time :D :D :D


Locked

Return to “Bobcat General Forum”