George and the group. Omega was designed to replace LORAN "A" & "C" due
to its long range and more precise and reliable propagation. I used it
first flying in the Canadian Arctic for Pacific Western on Electras. At
that time we only had an ID-48 cross pointer for track indication and
had to use overlays. They then came up with receivers with computing
capabilities along with LAT/LONG readout X trk/Long track and way
points.
I have used it on B-707 and DC-8's in round the world service prior to
INS becoming standard. I have used both in cross polar operation like
Cponhagen/Stockholm to Anchorage trips and found to very close in
comparing them. After GPS/Glosnoss came along it was more cost effective
to kiss Omega good bye. The VLF submarine coverage was in the same freq.
range 10 to 22 KC maybe up to 28. They shut Omega down in I think Oct.
997. I drew up approaches in the NWT of Canada for use by the airline
going into Ice strips. Eureka, Resolute, Alert, Rae Point, King
Christian Island and we had a strip that was directly on the Magnetic
North Pole. We were transporting fuel into the strips and while
sitting on the ground on the pole the Whisky compass did all kinds of
gyrations, up down all the way around reverse itself and wobbling all of
the time. We used to carry other pilots , FAA and DOT inspectors there
just to see it happen. It really did its thing when flying anywhere near
the pole. We used modified Grid navigation using Astro compass and
sun or body lines for flying True lines point to point. Once we got
Omega approved in our ops manuals and specs we kind of stopped shooting
lines. Still have my Astro compass and mixmaster.
Now days you set down in the Whale B-747 or other wide body tell one of
the computers what trip/date it is and it loads it into all of the
INS/GPS flight control systems. You get to start the engines in
automatic sequence of events taxi out at LA push the levers up the auto
throttle takes over and sets power yooou roar down the runway pull back
on the control call positive rate gear up retract the flaps on sked
relax , touch down at Tokyo touch the brakes to turn off the auto brake
taxi in and sign the log. If you did not run a how goes it against the
computer flight plan and any of those little computers decided to get a
bellyache then you were in deep ---- and if you got home the laundry
lady was really pissed.
Hank
Been there done that
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