True Meaning Of VOR

[[email protected]]

Hi,

I am an aspiring flight student. I'd like my first message to this
group to be one with foot in mouth:

I am not convinced that the term VOR stands for "Very high frequenncy
omnidirectional range."

The problem is that, if I were an electrical engineer designing such a
device, knowing in advance how it worked, I'd be highly inclinded to
call it a "Very high frequency ominidirectional radiator" given that it
radiates in all directions using the VHF band.

Yet both the chapters by Rod Machado that comes with Micrsoft Flight
Simulator and the handbooks from the FAA say that it stands for
"...ominidirectional range", so I might be barking up a tall tree here,
but just a thought.

Is there anyone here whose experience in flight precede the advent of
VOR that could say what it stands for?

Thanks,

-Chaud Lapin-

[Dave S]

Back in the day, the original "radio ranges" (or A-N ranges) were
directional navaids. They pointed along airway centerlines (or approach
paths) in selected directions.

The VOR was an "omni-range" in comparison to these earlier primitive
directional ranges, as the VOR was capable of defining a flight path in
an infinite number of directions around the compass, limited only by the
resolution of your equipment (fly heading 134.54 degrees??? <grin>

My 1965 AIM (all 120 pages) defines the VOR as the "VHF Omnidirectional
Range"

Dave

wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am an aspiring flight student. I'd like my first message to this
> group to be one with foot in mouth:
>
> I am not convinced that the term VOR stands for "Very high frequenncy
> omnidirectional range."
>
> The problem is that, if I were an electrical engineer designing such a
> device, knowing in advance how it worked, I'd be highly inclinded to
> call it a "Very high frequency ominidirectional radiator" given that it
> radiates in all directions using the VHF band.
>
> Yet both the chapters by Rod Machado that comes with Micrsoft Flight
> Simulator and the handbooks from the FAA say that it stands for
> "...ominidirectional range", so I might be barking up a tall tree here,
> but just a thought.
>
> Is there anyone here whose experience in flight precede the advent of
> VOR that could say what it stands for?
>
> Thanks,
>
> -Chaud Lapin-
>

[Peter]

Dave S wrote:

> Back in the day, the original "radio ranges" (or A-N ranges) were
> directional navaids. They pointed along airway centerlines (or approach
> paths) in selected directions.
>
> The VOR was an "omni-range" in comparison to these earlier primitive
> directional ranges, as the VOR was capable of defining a flight path in
> an infinite number of directions around the compass, limited only by the
> resolution of your equipment (fly heading 134.54 degrees??? <grin>
>
> My 1965 AIM (all 120 pages) defines the VOR as the "VHF Omnidirectional
> Range"

Many ship harbors with narrow dredged channels have even more basic
"navigational ranges" that consist of two towers positioned on a
straight line in the direction of the channel. The taller tower is
located behind the shorter one and the ship's captain can follow the
correct course into the harbor by keeping the two towers lined up. If
the shorter one seems to drift to starboard he knows he needs to steer
that way until they're back in line.

> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am an aspiring flight student. I'd like my first message to this
>> group to be one with foot in mouth:
>>
>> I am not convinced that the term VOR stands for "Very high frequenncy
>> omnidirectional range."
>>
>> The problem is that, if I were an electrical engineer designing such a
>> device, knowing in advance how it worked, I'd be highly inclinded to
>> call it a "Very high frequency ominidirectional radiator" given that it
>> radiates in all directions using the VHF band.
>>
>> Yet both the chapters by Rod Machado that comes with Micrsoft Flight
>> Simulator and the handbooks from the FAA say that it stands for
>> "...ominidirectional range", so I might be barking up a tall tree here,
>> but just a thought.
>>
>> Is there anyone here whose experience in flight precede the advent of
>> VOR that could say what it stands for?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> -Chaud Lapin-
>>
>

[Icebound]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi,
>
> I am an aspiring flight student. I'd like my first message to this
> group to be one with foot in mouth:
>
> I am not convinced that the term VOR stands for "Very high frequenncy
> omnidirectional range."
>
> The problem is that, if I were an electrical engineer designing such a
> device, knowing in advance how it worked, I'd be highly inclinded to
> call it a "Very high frequency ominidirectional radiator" given that it
> radiates in all directions using the VHF band.
>


http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/r1/radioran.asp

YOU may be so inclined, but the term "radio range" has been used to describe
radio navigation aids since way before VOR was invented.... and when it was,
it became just another "radio range", in this case a "VHF omnidirectional"
radio-range. Since we already knew that it was "radio", it became simply
VHF omnidirectional "range".

[Don Hammer]

Why do they call it a hot water heater when it heats cold water?
Why do they call them apartments when they are all stuck together?
Why do you drive on the parkway and park in the driveway?

Strange stuff to ponder.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Don Hammer" > wrote in message
...
>
> Why do they call it a hot water heater when it heats cold water?
>

I've always heard it called just water heater.

[Morgans]

"Peter" > wrote
>
> Many ship harbors with narrow dredged channels have even more basic
> "navigational ranges" that consist of two towers positioned on a
> straight line in the direction of the channel. The taller tower is
> located behind the shorter one and the ship's captain can follow the
> correct course into the harbor by keeping the two towers lined up. If
> the shorter one seems to drift to starboard he knows he needs to steer
> that way until they're back in line.

True, but what does that fact have to do with VOR?
--
Jim in NC

[Denny]

uhhh, my dad always referred to it as, "the *^&%$@# water heater is
out again. Get down there and light it."

We were dirt poor farmers and my grandfather, who didn't bath much,
kept going down and turning off the propane to save money... I knew
that and kept a sharp eye on him... Whenever he did that I got my bath
while the water was still warm... Dad never did catch on...

denny

[Dave Stadt]

"Morgans" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Peter" > wrote
> >
> > Many ship harbors with narrow dredged channels have even more basic
> > "navigational ranges" that consist of two towers positioned on a
> > straight line in the direction of the channel. The taller tower is
> > located behind the shorter one and the ship's captain can follow the
> > correct course into the harbor by keeping the two towers lined up. If
> > the shorter one seems to drift to starboard he knows he needs to steer
> > that way until they're back in line.
>
> True, but what does that fact have to do with VOR?
> --
> Jim in NC

It is a range just like a VOR except without the VO.

[Robert M. Gary]

wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am an aspiring flight student. I'd like my first message to this
> group to be one with foot in mouth:
>
> I am not convinced that the term VOR stands for "Very high frequenncy
> omnidirectional range."
>
> The problem is that, if I were an electrical engineer designing such
a
> device, knowing in advance how it worked, I'd be highly inclinded to
> call it a "Very high frequency ominidirectional radiator" given that
it
> radiates in all directions using the VHF band.

Oh, but engineers NEVER get to name products. Products are named by
marketing guys (refered to as Marketeers, as in mouseketeers). Us
engineers don't get much say in such things:(.

-Robert

[Steven P. McNicoll]

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> I am an aspiring flight student. I'd like my first message to this
> group to be one with foot in mouth:
>
> I am not convinced that the term VOR stands for "Very high frequenncy
> omnidirectional range."
>
> The problem is that, if I were an electrical engineer designing such a
> device, knowing in advance how it worked, I'd be highly inclinded to
> call it a "Very high frequency ominidirectional radiator" given that it
> radiates in all directions using the VHF band.
>
> Yet both the chapters by Rod Machado that comes with Micrsoft Flight
> Simulator and the handbooks from the FAA say that it stands for
> "...ominidirectional range", so I might be barking up a tall tree here,
> but just a thought.
>
> Is there anyone here whose experience in flight precede the advent of
> VOR that could say what it stands for?
>

The R means Range and always has. The predecessor to VOR was simply called
the "Radio range" and was so designated on aeronautical charts. In 1948
VORs began appearing on the charts but they weren't then designated VORs,
they were designated "Omni-directional range". The information boxes for
specific ranges were identical except "OMNI" appeared above the box of a
VOR.

[Ken Pruchnick]

Don Hammer > wrote in message >...
> Why do they call it a hot water heater when it heats cold water?
> Why do they call them apartments when they are all stuck together?
> Why do you drive on the parkway and park in the driveway?
>
> Strange stuff to ponder.

Why is there so many letters in the word "ABBREVIATION"?

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Ken Pruchnick" > wrote in message
om...
>
> Why is there so many letters in the word "ABBREVIATION"?
>

Why isn't PHONETICALLY spelled with an F?

[Mike W.]

> The R means Range and always has.

I still don't understand why the word 'range' is in there, a VOR doesn't
give you any distance to or from anything unless you use two or more of them
to determine your position. Why isn't it called a 'directional' or
'positional'? Is range just an old-timey word whose meaning has shifted over
the years?

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Mike W." > wrote in message
...
>
> I still don't understand why the word 'range' is in there, a VOR doesn't
> give you any distance to or from anything unless you use two or more of
> them to determine your position. Why isn't it called a 'directional' or
> 'positional'? Is range just an old-timey word whose meaning has shifted
> over the years?
>

It's a carryover from marine navigation.

http://www.dirauxwest.org/Piloting/atn3.htm#Ranges

[Dan Foster]

In article >, Mike W. > wrote:
>
>> The R means Range and always has.
>
> I still don't understand why the word 'range' is in there, a VOR doesn't
> give you any distance to or from anything unless you use two or more of them
> to determine your position. Why isn't it called a 'directional' or
> 'positional'? Is range just an old-timey word whose meaning has shifted over
> the years?

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=range&x=0&y=0

Dictionary definition 1c states: "a direction line".

Which is how the word 'range' is used in nautical terminology as I
understand it, and also in aviation.

That dictionary (Merriam-Webster) also mentions there are a total of 38
different meanings or definitions of the word 'range', so perhaps you
were thinking of a different meaning...?

-Dan

[Corky Scott]

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 17:03:52 GMT, "Steven P. McNicoll"
> wrote:

>Why isn't PHONETICALLY spelled with an F?

Because when they were inventing words, they'd already used up all the
"F"'s, but still had plenty of "PH"'s left to use...

Corky Scott

[Bob Chilcoat]

Why is the alphabet in that order?
Is it because of that song?

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)


"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
> "Ken Pruchnick" > wrote in message
> om...
> >
> > Why is there so many letters in the word "ABBREVIATION"?
> >
>
> Why isn't PHONETICALLY spelled with an F?
>
>

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Bob Chilcoat" > wrote in message
...
>
> Why is the alphabet in that order?
> Is it because of that song?
>

Could be. That song is a detriment to education. How many people grew up
believing elemenopee was a letter itself?

[Bob Chilcoat]

My dad always refered to VOR's as "Omni's". He started flying in the early
40's (See http://users.erols.com/viewptmd/Dad.html) and I can remember how
impressed he was with the first "Omni" he had installed in one of his planes
in the 60's. A major advance as far as he was concerned.

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)


"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> >
> > I am an aspiring flight student. I'd like my first message to this
> > group to be one with foot in mouth:
> >
> > I am not convinced that the term VOR stands for "Very high frequenncy
> > omnidirectional range."
> >
> > The problem is that, if I were an electrical engineer designing such a
> > device, knowing in advance how it worked, I'd be highly inclinded to
> > call it a "Very high frequency ominidirectional radiator" given that it
> > radiates in all directions using the VHF band.
> >
> > Yet both the chapters by Rod Machado that comes with Micrsoft Flight
> > Simulator and the handbooks from the FAA say that it stands for
> > "...ominidirectional range", so I might be barking up a tall tree here,
> > but just a thought.
> >
> > Is there anyone here whose experience in flight precede the advent of
> > VOR that could say what it stands for?
> >
>
> The R means Range and always has. The predecessor to VOR was simply
called
> the "Radio range" and was so designated on aeronautical charts. In 1948
> VORs began appearing on the charts but they weren't then designated VORs,
> they were designated "Omni-directional range". The information boxes for
> specific ranges were identical except "OMNI" appeared above the box of a
> VOR.
>
>

[Jose]

> How many people grew up
> believing elemenopee was a letter itself?

It isn't? Maybe =that's= why I have so much trouble reading.

Why did they build the ocean so close to the shore?

Jose
--
Math is a game. The object of the game is to figure out the rules.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Jose" > wrote in message
...
>
> Why did they build the ocean so close to the shore?
>

To reduce travel time to picnics at the beach.

[Franklin Newton]

I thought it was "Visual Omni Range", meaning multi-directional and you got
to see the display as opposed to the aural radio ranges.
> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi,
>
> I am an aspiring flight student. I'd like my first message to this
> group to be one with foot in mouth:
>
> I am not convinced that the term VOR stands for "Very high frequenncy
> omnidirectional range."
>
> The problem is that, if I were an electrical engineer designing such a
> device, knowing in advance how it worked, I'd be highly inclinded to
> call it a "Very high frequency ominidirectional radiator" given that it
> radiates in all directions using the VHF band.
>
> Yet both the chapters by Rod Machado that comes with Micrsoft Flight
> Simulator and the handbooks from the FAA say that it stands for
> "...ominidirectional range", so I might be barking up a tall tree here,
> but just a thought.
>
> Is there anyone here whose experience in flight precede the advent of
> VOR that could say what it stands for?
>
> Thanks,
>
> -Chaud Lapin-
>

[Mike W.]

"Franklin Newton" > wrote in message
ink.net...
> I thought it was "Visual Omni Range", meaning multi-directional and you
got
> to see the display as opposed to the aural radio ranges.

Huh? Maybe you are thinking of DME.

[Bob Moore]

"Franklin Newton" wrote
> I thought it was "Visual Omni Range", meaning multi-directional and
> you got to see the display as opposed to the aural radio ranges.

Ah-ha...somebody else as old as I am. :-) That's how I first
heard it way back in the early fifties. By the late fifties,
we had VORs in our Navy aircraft, but the emphasis on my final
instrument check-ride was still on the "aural" A-N Range for
both enroute navigation and approaches. How pleasant to get to
the first fleet squadron to find that it was all VOR/ADF/GCA
flying.

Bob Moore

[CryptWolf]

"Mike W." > wrote in message
...
>
>
> > The R means Range and always has.
>
> I still don't understand why the word 'range' is in there, a VOR doesn't
> give you any distance to or from anything unless you use two or more of
them
> to determine your position.

You can determine distance from a VOR with the aid of a clock and a
bit of math. Turn 90 degrees to the inbound course and time 5 or 10
degrees of the arc. Note that this also works with an ADF.

Times here are in minutes.
Time to station = time * 60 / degrees change
Distance from station = time * TAS / degrees change
This one works with knots or MPH but MPH gives distance
in statute miles instead of nautical miles.

If close to the VOR (seconds = minutes * 60)
Time to station (minutes) = seconds/degrees change (usually 10 degrees)

You can typically do the math in your head fairly close or more
accurately with a wiz wheel or a calculator.

[Frankster]

>> Why is there so many letters in the word "ABBREVIATION"?
> Why isn't PHONETICALLY spelled with an F?

Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons?

-Frank

[Montblack]

("Frankster" wrote)
> Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons?


Yes. They were, um, outies ...as in they're "5000."

Word.


Montblack