FAA History Lesson -- January 27

From the FAA Historical Chronology, 1926-1996...

”Jan 27, 1969: Under an FAA contract, the University of Ohio initiated a five-year study seeking to improve the overall capabilities of the existing instrument landing system, giving particular attention to interference problems. The contractor examined existing criteria for controlling taxiing aircraft on or near ILS runways and also examined criteria for taxi-strip and warmup-area construction. This part of the study had largely been prompted by the introduction of the Boeing 747 and the Lockheed C-5A, which, because of their size, could seriously interfere with ILS signals. Another part of the study dealt with the possible effects of hangars, buildings, powerlines, and terrain on electronic signals. A computer manufacturer developed a mathematical model and a generalized computer program for predicting these effects for the study. “

I know, that’s pretty dull isn’t it ? But if your airplane is on the ILS when one of these new monsters crosses the runway, it might pique your interest. Click on the “Full Size Photo” and check out the size of the tail.

Don Brown
January 27, 2008