wrote in message
oups.com...

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?


The R means Range and always has. The predecessor to VOR was simply called
the "Radio range" and was so designated on aeronautical charts. In 1948
VORs began appearing on the charts but they weren't then designated VORs,
they were designated "Omni-directional range". The information boxes for
specific ranges were identical except "OMNI" appeared above the box of a
VOR.