Q Codes & Let Downs 1950s

[BOAC]

The confusion is why you are asking about a 'Safety Path' when all you have posted refers to a 'Safety Lane'.- which has been explained Why have you introduced this expression? If we knew, perhaps we could help?

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

As an ex-QGH (aka CDTC) endorsed Approach Controller – as I recall - the Safety Height (all approaches were on QFE remember ) ‘steps’ were:

Homing: Lowest High-level Quadrantal Flight Level (circa FL120 or thereabouts), Lowest Safe Quadrantal Flight Level (below FL120) or lowest procedure safety height (if starting below transition altitude).

Overhead – at least 2 no-bearings or very rapidly changing QDMs – then sending ‘Bloggs’ outbound on the required outbound track (+/- 15º ‘oversteer’ if track change was greater than 90º). Set QFE, NO DESCENT YET.

Outbound: Descent outbound to Intermediate Approach Height (IAH) could not be commenced until the outbound QDM was within +/- 60º of the outbound track. Then descent to IAH was initiated. Turn inbound was commenced at ½ Overhead height + 2,000ft (Hi level procedures) or timed (3 or 4 mins for lo-level procedures) when turn inbound to Final Approach Track (FAT) commenced. (For all old ATCO’s – ‘double any outbound QDM error and apply it in the same direction’ for the inbound steer!)

Inbound: Descent below IAH to Procedure Minima/Break-off Height (BOH - remember those???) could not commence until the aircraft was within +/- 15º of FAT. Once the aircraft reported at Procedure minima/BOH the aircraft had to be maintained within +/- 5º of the FAT, which could be tricky the closer you got in, if one hadn’t ‘sussed’ the wind.

I well remember the workload as a Stude at Shawbury when working one aircraft in the ‘DF Simulator’ phase! A tour at RAF Leeming when it was a real flying unit soon cured that; doing 4 QGHs at a time because the AR-1 was off the air (again!) soon got the CADF tube ‘talking’ to you. I even devised a ‘Triangular’ pattern QGH for RW 34 (based on the Shawbury RW 01 QGH procedure) that worked fine (even allowing for Dishforth’s Circuit) as a ‘DF to PAR’ to cater for when the AR-1 was off.

Job satisfaction: off the scale!

The Safety Lanes were the +/- 60º, +/- 15º & +/-5º sectors referred to above. Never, ever, heard the term Safety Path in all my 25+ yrs.

[KN647]

QDH and 'Safety Lane'

Thank you.
I think that explanation about wraps it up, sorry about the Safety Lane & Safety Path deviation, must be old age. Being lead up the Garden Path . . . . .

Once again THANK YOU ALL for your explanations.

Regards, NICK