Deluxe airport navaids for St Helena?
I too wondered about the provision of navaids for St Helena's new airport. It's got a localizer, DVOR, DME, NDB and GBAS (augmentation for GPS). About all they seem to have missed out is a VDF.
You could argue that the GBAS is all that's required but presumably they didn't want to limit operations in the event of GPS problems - it is in the tropics after all with the higher likelihood of ionospheric effects. And they're starting 1000 feet closer to the cloudbase with it's cliff-top location. Add in the fact that it's a shortish runway, quite a crosswind most of the year and probably severe turbulence as you approach the cliffs, pilots will need all the help they can to land safely.
Oh, and I forgot the high terrain all around - you'll want to remember to turn away from that smartish in the event of a go around!
All I can assume is that the engineers planning the airport played it safe and threw in every possible navaid that might be useful. After all, the navaids were probably quite a small percentage of the £250m of UK taxpayers' money that went to build it. (They shifted 8 million cubic metres of rock to fill in the ravine at one end of the runway - that didn't come cheap!)
It's a pity that the navaid siting was wrong. I am not sure why, but both the VOR and Localizer antennas have been moved. They no longer illuminate the sea - I suspect that there was severe cancellation of the signals at some distance/height due to reflection off the ocean. Another possibility is that the DVOR was located just metres away from Bradley's Camp - all metal buildings - used for the construction crew but also going to be converted into long term tourist accommodation.
So the choice of some navaids which may be unnecessary has come to bite them - the airport opening is delayed due to the reworking necessary on the VOR and LOC.
Incidentally, a second round of calibration flights is due this week (13 Dec 15) but I have not heard if the aircraft has arrived on island or not. Let's hope all calibrates OK this time.