VLF AIRBORNE SYSTEM NOISE AND ANTENNA STUDY AND STUDY OF LANE IDENTIFICATION FOR OMEGA, VOLUME I

The immediate purposes of the program are to determine the effect of precipitation static on the reception in aircraft of very-low-frequency signals, to devise a method for reducing the effect to a tolerable level and to collect data on Omega, and ultimately to determine the feasibility of Omega for air navigation. Three types of airborne antennas have been investigated. Phase-difference and field-intensity data were collected over periods of approximately three days and three nights in winter and summer at six widely scattered monitor stations (airports) in South America and six in North America. This information is needed for the accurate prediction of Omega sky-wave corrections, hyperbolic lines of position and lane identification. For the study of the propagation of Omega signals at relatively short range from the transmitting station, phase difference of Omega signals relative to a stable reference source were measured in a small truck travelling along the highways out to a range of 600 kilometers from the Forestport station. (Author)