G'day Dick,
Sorry, but I can't recall the VHF DF project having a 'project name', other than just that of 'VHF DF'.
A unit on the top of our outlet at Mt Canobolas near Orange, NSW, would have been a useful tool, because of the range of that particular VHF site.
Another unit at another adjacent location would have enabled a 'cross reference' of bearings to give a 'fix' perhaps....
I think the idea was to install VHF DF at some 'remote' locations, e.g. Kalgoorlie, Derby, Meeka etc., to assist pilots who may have been 'unsure of their current position' = lost.
It was a 'line of sight' direction only, displayed as a line on a circular CRT with a compass rose around the circumference to give the bearing of the line.
They were available 'off the shelf', and were used in the UK in conjunction with IF 'homing' procedures.
I cannot recall if ATC were going to need them, as most ATC units were located in populated centres, where nav. was not usually the problem.
All superceeded now by GPS....but 40 or so years ago....
I may 'drift' a little here....patience please...
Another 'project' that I had some connection with, was the proposal to install a VHF outlet on top of Mt Bakewell, near York WA.
This would have provided a much improved VHF coverage to the WA wheatbelt generally, and to Cunderdin in particular.
YCUN at the time was a major G/A IFR training location because of its proximity to Perth, and the NDB located there.
Imagine, a 'major' G/A training location only 67nm (if I remember correctly)from Perth International Airport, and, having NIL VHF below a 'good' circuit area altitude!
Aircraft below circuit area altitude, on the ground etc, had to call HF - only 67 nm from Perth.
As all of the required infrastructure, road access, power, TV and Telstra repeater towers etc, was already in place on Bakewell, the projected cost of this VHF installation was 'quoted' at just under $10K.
(You may have been able to provide the equipment for a fraction of this....who knows...)
All of the advantages - for what could be the cost of a 'corporate lunch' (?).... You get the idea.....'Affordable safety' was now in manager's minds....
None of which would have helped poor MDX on that fateful night.
I'm not sure I can assist you much with your book, However, I can ring you sometime, and have a yarn.
These days, the chronological order of sequence of events is a bit 'blurred'.
(Like, I can forget just where I left the car keys, but when I do find them, I still know 'wot they're for'.....)
The 'initial cut' of 12/12/'91 when services to VFR aircraft were deleted, (some may say 'relaxed') did enable rationalisation / consolidation, and 'affordable safety' became the new mantra.
The opportunity to see the 'old public service mentality' dinosaurs depart the service was good as it enabled a leaner meaner more 'flexible' service to be provided. And I was proud to be a part of that.
And therefore it became much cheaper to operate. e.g. Perth Flight Service Centre staff numbers went from something like 138 in '91 to just 38 or so towards the 'end' in December 2000 - as 'aircraft 'movements' became less and we were able to 'combine' adjacent areas to less staff operating those areas..
The closure of the Briefing Offices was a travesty. They were the 'Shop Front Window' where all flight information could be obtained, NOTAMs etc obtained maps / chart purchases made, and a personal briefing obtained if that was required.
Pertinent NOTAM's ONLY - THANKS. Not the pages of drivel we have to sift thru these days....And they also provided a 'meeting point' for pilots to 'interface' with the system - and exchange the rumours of the day...
Now we resort to this site, and what a site it is.
We did 'trial' a thing called 'FISADS' where we typed the dep. point, destination, aircraft time intervals into a computer, and when the aircraft departed, the actual dep. time.
The machine then 'drew' a straight line track and displayed a symbol along that track commensurate with the aircraft's planned position....However, it was in NO WAY 'connected' to the actual track that the aircraft actually flew - just the 'planned' details.
Of limited use.
And it took us longer to enter the info than it did to write the reported actual position on the cardboard Flight Progress Strip, in our abbreviated way, and process it.
It was reported to have cost MILLIONS - and was said to have morphed into TAAAATS - whatever that stood for...can't remember now - not important in my life these days....
Those days when most of the G/A Charter fleet comprised 8 - 10 seat 'normally aspirated' 402's, PA31's, and the like, which all flew OCTA fairly quickly after departure from Capital City, to destination, and needed multiple aircraft to carry a 'mining crew', were rapidly replaced with Conquests, King Airs and the like, which remained in CTA for much longer portions of the flight, usually until they were 'on descent' and passing FL200.
We went from 'processing' say, 60 or 70 smaller slower aircraft, OCTA for most of their flight to the various mining centres, into 30 or so of the larger, faster types.
And these in turn were replaced by Dash's, FK100's, BA146 etc , all of which can carry the same mining crew in a single aircraft, in CTA until descent....
You get the idea.
The 'good old days' of FS were numbered - we knew that - but we were still providing what was a good service to those aircraft that still flew OCTA.
Now the 'service' is provided by an often overworked ATC person, on the same operational frequency as his separation job, 'when workload permits'....
But, as stated, 40 or so years ago....
Cheers to all who took the time to read so far...
