VORTAC

I have had several requests for pictures of things around town. Everyday things. I figure that will keep me busy for a while. Here is an everyday thing....the Kotzebue VORTAC. Ain't she a beauty?




VORTAC stands for Very High Frequency(VHF)Omni-Directional Radio Range Tactical Air Navigation. I think that this one in Kotzebue is a VOR/TACAN as opposed to a regular VOR/DME.....I'm no pilot, but I did once stay at a Holiday Inn Express.





I guess the VOR/TACAN is fancier than boring old VOR/DME and the TACAN part of it is a military thingie that is available for limited civilian use. We used to have an Air Force Base and "White Alice" (long range radar) site here in Kotzebue (I'll save that for another everyday thing post).


To put it in simple terms a VORTAC it is a beacon marking an airway for both civilian and military use. This beacon emits a specific radio signal, exclusive to that beacon, that tells the pilot where he is located and if he is on course....or something like that.