LORAN usage among airlines...

[JasonK..AKA "Pal Joey."]

I would assume due to cost they wouldn't be standard, but would say, United have it for their Hawaii flights? Northwest for Asia? I imagine Pan AM did..Foriegn Carriers?

[Defender]

A 1961 report I have dealing with North Atlantic separation, track keeping and fix accuracy includes data from three unnamed airlines and reveals that only two used Loran, the third one primarily using celestial. But the report is mainly based on jet aircraft and so more reliance on celestial being available and my conclusion would be that propeller aircraft would almost certainly be Loran equipped, either Atlantic or Pacific crossings.

It contains the very true words, "When crossing the North Atlantic, the navigator never knows precisely where he is........"

The Pan American navigation manuals show that flight plans were always required for ocean crossings and ATC expected position reports every hour. From the mid-50's the flight plan had to include the expected crossing points at each 5 degrees longitude and prop aircraft had to report estimated position every hour or 5 degrees longitude with strict rules for either regaining track or getting ATC permission to change track. So Loran would be useful.

Bill

[Defender]

PS - The Pan American manual has a section on Loran, so fitted.

Bill

[Tom/CalClassic]

My SAS DC-7C manual says it was equipped with LORAN, as does the Riddle DC-7C manual. The United Stratocruisers had LORAN, but my 1964 United DC-6/7 manual makes no reference to it. But there is also no mention of navigators so if true there would have been no one to use it. But it might have been removed by then.

[connieguy]

The manual for the Lockheed C-121C and G, which in its available form dates from 1965, states that the aircraft had a Loran APN70 receiver, but it would be surprising if they had not been so equipped ten years earlier. The second edition of Marson's book on the Constellation (i. 138) has a Lockheed photograph of the navigator's position in an 'early Air France Constellation'. There is a black box with a circular visor which looks Loran like, but according to Marson it is a radio altimeter.

[JasonK..AKA "Pal Joey."]

Thanks fellas! that's what I was looking for. I probably wouldn't be off the mark too far to assume that all longer-range military planes would have it, Most carriers would use it for those routes with extended oversea flights.

[Tom/CalClassic]

I agree, I would assume so. No reason not to.