Navigation

Roy, I agree that GPS has ended the need for celestial nav (it was more
talked about than actually used except in commercial and military - and
a few adventurers)... However, GPS has not ended the need for other
means of navigation... The fact that GPS can be jammed from the ground
over a wide area, simply and at low cost, has the Pentagon thinking...
Just as differential GPS (WAAS) is the hot thing in GPS today for
improving accuracy, differential Loran is being actively implemented...

"LORAN?!? I thought that went away years ago.", sez Charley
McCarthy.... for those block heads old enough to catch the reference

Nope, not a bit... The gov't in it's infinite wisdom is spending mucho
bucks on a multi year project installing differential Loran
transmitters... Now, yes this is immediately aimed at commercial
shipping around large ports, but remember, the large brown pieces roll
down hill, getting smaller and less expensive as they go... So, don't
pull out your Loran gear just yet because it is going to be with us for
a long time...

As a guy who learned to fly when an NDB approach was state of the art
whoever that guy Art was, I still drag paper charts around with
me... I love my moving map GPS boy have I gotten lazy but as a guy
who made his living in electronics I know how fast all the magic smoke
can leak out of those little black, chip thingies... Notice that the
gov't is still investing in new ILS installations... My podunk airport
has one 98% finished and waiting on activation... So, don't give up
practicing the various types of ILS / VOR navigation...

denny