East Coast Blackout (1965) -- Landing Methods

[JHB]

Hi:

I have just viewed a progam on the Great Blackout of 1965.

During that event everything using regular electrical power, including
all the ILS systems, radar systems and radio communications which
normally suport landings, were inoperative. The program noted that
"Aircraft in the air were eventually landed using the opeational
radios of airctaft on the ground". That does not make too much sense to
me, since runway lights and and all other support technology would be
out and it would be hard to gide them down!

Can someone explain how aircraft in flight were safey landed at LGA and
the other airports that were out?

Regards

John Baker

[ktbr]

JHB wrote:

> Can someone explain how aircraft in flight were safey landed at LGA and
> the other airports that were out?
>

Instrument landing facilites at many (if not most?) major
airports have backup generators to power the electronics
so that aircraft can do the instrument approaches.... maybe
even some runway lighting as well.

[Judah]

"JHB" > wrote in news:1167743370.042414.54210
@k21g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

> Hi:
>
> I have just viewed a progam on the Great Blackout of 1965.
>
> During that event everything using regular electrical power, including
> all the ILS systems, radar systems and radio communications which
> normally suport landings, were inoperative. The program noted that
> "Aircraft in the air were eventually landed using the opeational
> radios of airctaft on the ground". That does not make too much sense to
> me, since runway lights and and all other support technology would be
> out and it would be hard to gide them down!
>
> Can someone explain how aircraft in flight were safey landed at LGA and
> the other airports that were out?

I can't say how it was done in 1965, but I was in the air during the
Northeast Blackout of 2003. The major airports had backup lighting for
runway lights and communications, but a number of the smaller airports did
not. Also ATC had communications. Actually, come to think of it, so did
Telco...

What was interesting was that it brought to light (wink) just how much
light comes up from the ground at night in the Northeast. Streetlights,
houselights, etc, that ease VFR navigation. That night, I was heading home
from the Boston area, which was not affected by the outage, and as we
crossed through northeastern Connecticut, it became eerie as there were no
more lights on the ground. Headlights from the occassional car or a house
that must have been running a generator and had a light on was all...

But my home airport of HPN, as well as some of the other larger airports
had lights. At the same time, I heard ATC discussing a diversion to DXR
from Oxford which was not towered at the time, and didn't have lights...

I suspect that the majors had backup lights even in the 60s...

[Tony]

I seem to remember the major airports in the New England area had
alternative power during the 60's blackout.

On Jan 2, 10:33 pm, Judah > wrote:
> "JHB" > wrote in news:1167743370.042414.54210
> @k21g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
>
> > Hi:
>
> > I have just viewed a progam on the Great Blackout of 1965.
>
> > During that event everything using regular electrical power, including
> > all the ILS systems, radar systems and radio communications which
> > normally suport landings, were inoperative. The program noted that
> > "Aircraft in the air were eventually landed using the opeational
> > radios of airctaft on the ground". That does not make too much sense to
> > me, since runway lights and and all other support technology would be
> > out and it would be hard to gide them down!
>
> > Can someone explain how aircraft in flight were safey landed at LGA and
> > the other airports that were out?I can't say how it was done in 1965, but I was in the air during the
> Northeast Blackout of 2003. The major airports had backup lighting for
> runway lights and communications, but a number of the smaller airports did
> not. Also ATC had communications. Actually, come to think of it, so did
> Telco...
>
> What was interesting was that it brought to light (wink) just how much
> light comes up from the ground at night in the Northeast. Streetlights,
> houselights, etc, that ease VFR navigation. That night, I was heading home
> from the Boston area, which was not affected by the outage, and as we
> crossed through northeastern Connecticut, it became eerie as there were no
> more lights on the ground. Headlights from the occassional car or a house
> that must have been running a generator and had a light on was all...
>
> But my home airport of HPN, as well as some of the other larger airports
> had lights. At the same time, I heard ATC discussing a diversion to DXR
> from Oxford which was not towered at the time, and didn't have lights...
>
> I suspect that the majors had backup lights even in the 60s...

[Judah]

"Tony" > wrote in
ps.com:

> I seem to remember the major airports in the New England area had
> alternative power during the 60's blackout.

I was flying back then, but only under SFR (Spiritual Flight Rules), as I was
but a twinkle in someone's eye in 1965...

[Kev]

JHB wrote:
> I have just viewed a progam on the Great Blackout of 1965.
> [...]
> Can someone explain how aircraft in flight were safey landed at LGA and
> the other airports that were out?

According to the official FAA history found at...

http://www.faa.gov/about/media/b-chron.pdf

.... only Kennedy and LaGuardia lost power. Aircraft were diverted to
Philly, Boston, etc. The Centers and those other airports were okay,
since they were connected to secondary power providers. (The same
thing happened here in NJ during the 2003 blackout... all of us on the
major grids lost power, but here and there were pockets of lit homes on
different grids.)

However, it caused the FAA to start buying backup generators, as it was
clear that trusting secondary providers could be a mistake. Somewhere
else I read that they have over 30,000 diesel generators now.

The history also notes that it was a clear, moonlit night, which helped
with navigation.

Regards, Kev