Old Oz DCA/Dept Aviation Operational Notes ('blue books')

[Tinstaafl]

At my last 6 monthly test with our company's FAA Inspector we were discussing various types of now defunct navaids. He's preparing a presentation/paper about such things & was interested in some of the Oz unique equipment eg 200MHz DME including DME Homing & Descent and the Visual Aural Range.

I said I'd see if I could get some information for him. Does anyone still have the old publications that the Dept. released? If you don't want them would you be willing to send them to me in the USA? Or be willing to photocopy them? Unfortunately I no longer have mine. I'll cover costs of course. I've downloaded the PDFs from CASA's site which helps with current equipment but the old aids aren't available. Even the current DME notes has been edited to remove 200MHz DME and Homing/Descents.

Anything you have would be helpful - even the older ones for still current aids.

[Tmbstory]

Tinstaafl,

I am sure that I have some of these books, give me a day or two to look in the pile, I will get back to you


Tmb

[Tinstaafl]

Wonderful! Thanks TMB. Whatever you don't need or would prefer copied is fine with me. Cheers, T.

[QSK?]

Tin:

I've got a copy of the old Mangalore VAR approach plate and a copy of an old Port Hedland DME Descent (homing) approach plate. They of any use?

If so, PM me an email address and I'll send to you.

[OzExpat]

We still have DME Descent procedures in our charts, Tinny. Let me know if you'd like copies - you still know my e-mail addy, right? :}

[Essential Buzz]

Try this link, seems to have all the things you are after:
http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/Index%20communications%20&%20navigation.htm

[Tmbstory]

Tinstaafl,

Type into Google search," Visual Aural Range Navigation system Australia 1950's " & the first two responses will give you a lot of information.

I have other items of interest, do you have an email that I could send them to.?

Regards

Tmb

[ad-astra]

I can vouch for OzExpats Dme Homing Charts as I and numerous other pilots made use of them when a certain West New Britain (PNG) NDB failed. F28 Jet operations continued into that and many other ports utilizing what our youngest brethren would only scoff at.
There is a lot to be said for a basic set of flight instruments a clock and a good understanding of basic nav.This I might say was only 6 years ago and would STILL be used today.

[Tinstaafl]

I forgot PNG still had them. Ta for reminding me, Oz! Are you able to email a couple of them to me? Or post a photocopy or two? I haven't had DME Descent charts since CASA/AirNoServices did away with them. They were always handy to meet alternate requirements.

What about DME Arrivals? It looks like the format for the plate has changed. Does anyone still have an old tabular one lying around?

Thanks for the links people. *Very* helpful.

[OzExpat]

We're not in the 21st Century yet Tinnie so they aren't available online. Give me a few days and I'll scan a few to send to you. If I include a couple of our DME Arrival and DME Departure charts, it might take a few extra days as my time isn't exactly my own these days. :(

[Tinstaafl]

Ta, TKFS. I have those but they only cover current navaids. Thanks anyway, though.

That's OK, Oz. 'when you''ve extracted yourself from the crocodiles and it's convenient for you will be fine. Tmbstory very kindly sent me a range of scans that will get our FAA inspector off to a great start. :ok:

[OzExpat]

Tinny... I've scanned a few charts but seem to have lost your e-mail address. I tried to e-mail you from your profile but the message failed, giving the reason that I am not allowed to send 2 messages within the space of 1 minute. The idiocy of this was that I HADN'T sent a message within the previous 60 seconds! :ugh:

In any event, there seems to have been no way to attach the scan files to that message. :(

So, please e-mail me so that I can reinstate your e-mail address - I had a hard drive crash a few months back and undoubtedly lost your address then, among a lot of other useful information... :{

[Tinstaafl]

The FAA bloke seems rather pleased with the material that was sent or emailed to me so thank you very much everyone! Once he's made copies I'll return what was posted to me.

I'm rather curious to see how his presentation thing will turn out. He might give me a copy if I ask nicely.

Thanks again

T

[john_tullamarine]

Tinny,

Am in the process of cleaning out some old archives and came across a consolidated set of most (?) of the ancient blue books (including the weight control book .. which is what I have been trying to track down for some time) ... I can even recall flying VAR letdowns in anger in Oz ..... the memory is shaky but I recall that Nhill and Hobart (or was it Launy ?) had VARs at the time.

Let me know which books you are short and, if I have them, I'll send a scanned copy.

regards,

John

[PLovett]

John, both Hobart and Launy had VAR aids. The Launy one had visual tracks north and south to link in with Hobart. The aural legs from Launy went to Devonport and St Helens. The aural legs from Hobart went nowhere!:ok:

I was strictly a VFR pilot in those days but I can remember doing my final nav exercise for my PPL in the only aircraft I was endorsed (yes, youngsters, in those days you were endorsed on each type, none of this generic rubbish:}) on which had a VOR receiver. Of course I navigated visually but just had to have a fiddle with the thing, didn't I.:ok:

I think Tasmania was the last part of the country to have VAR aids.:sad:

[brine]

You probably won't be interested in this but, when I was on technical training at RAAF Forest Hill (Wagga Wagga, NSW) back in the 1950s, a Lockheed Electra was carrying out some of the first flight tests on the Aussie DME system from our airfield.

Rainmaking (cloud seeding) was also being instigated by the CSIRO and it was very successful - although there was already plenty of rain in NSW at the time! I got caught in a cyclone and two separate floods...

Brine :)

[OzExpat]

I'm glad to have been of help Tinny. If he gives you a copy of his presentation, can you copy it for me please... I'd be very interested in how he strung it all together. :ok:

[Tinstaafl]

Hi everyone,

It's been a while but our FAA bloke has returned the various stuff I received from you and now I'm down to the last few things to be returned. He's quite pleased with what we were able to provide to him and I'm still hopeful to get a copy or a precis of his work at some point.

Unfortunately I lost the envelope with the name and address on it for these last three blue books. They have 'RA Howard' handwritten on them. I recall the address was Peacock St/Rd/something in NSW. Whitepages.com.au gives an address in Frenchs Forest. Would the kind person please let me know if this is correct so I can return them?

Thanks for everyone's help. I now have extra brownie points with the FAA bloke - and just as my annual Part 135 checkride is due with him! :ok:

[OzExpat]

I'm a tad fearful of how the said FAA bloke strung the whole thing together, especially because the USA is unlikely to ever need such procedures. If he's used it to show how backward we are in this part of the world, it's probably only going to be news to others in the FAA... :}

Despite all, I remain hopeful of receiving a copy/precis of whatever he came up with! :ok: