Dave S wrote:

Back in the day, the original "radio ranges" (or A-N ranges) were
directional navaids. They pointed along airway centerlines (or approach
paths) in selected directions.

The VOR was an "omni-range" in comparison to these earlier primitive
directional ranges, as the VOR was capable of defining a flight path in
an infinite number of directions around the compass, limited only by the
resolution of your equipment (fly heading 134.54 degrees??? grin

My 1965 AIM (all 120 pages) defines the VOR as the "VHF Omnidirectional
Range"

Many ship harbors with narrow dredged channels have even more basic
"navigational ranges" that consist of two towers positioned on a
straight line in the direction of the channel. The taller tower is
located behind the shorter one and the ship's captain can follow the
correct course into the harbor by keeping the two towers lined up. If
the shorter one seems to drift to starboard he knows he needs to steer
that way until they're back in line.

wrote:

Hi,

I am an aspiring flight student. I'd like my first message to this
group to be one with foot in mouth:

I am not convinced that the term VOR stands for "Very high frequenncy
omnidirectional range."

The problem is that, if I were an electrical engineer designing such a
device, knowing in advance how it worked, I'd be highly inclinded to
call it a "Very high frequency ominidirectional radiator" given that it
radiates in all directions using the VHF band.

Yet both the chapters by Rod Machado that comes with Micrsoft Flight
Simulator and the handbooks from the FAA say that it stands for
"...ominidirectional range", so I might be barking up a tall tree here,
but just a thought.

Is there anyone here whose experience in flight precede the advent of
VOR that could say what it stands for?

Thanks,

-Chaud Lapin-