Domestic LORAN-C going off the air...

[DeckApe]

Today I drink to the end of an era. All domestic LORAN-C navigation systems will be discontinued as of February 8, 2010.

I'm not sad about it or anything; it's just the end of an era like the analog TV signals. LORAN was supplemented by GPS twenty years ago, and supplanted by it about fifteen years ago. The Hawaiian island LORAN chain was shut down years ago (it was never that accurate anyway), but the LORAN in the Aleutian Islands was a great system. It had accuracy to 1/4 mile, and repeatable accuracy down to about 100 feet (i.e., you'd be within 100 feet of that spot when the coordinates said you were there). But, times move on, and the government is shutting down the system as redundant and expensive. A few stations will remain active, as they are shared with Canadian and Russian LORAN systems. The termination of the system is projected to save $36 million in 2010 and $190 million over the next five years.

I only mention it here because I think it's just about the last radio-based nav system around. Omega shut down in 1997 and Decca shut down in 2000. RDF stations have steadily been shut down over the last fifteen years or so, and converted to differential GPS transmitters. I understand that there are still a few around, however.

So, LORAN, I drink to you... thanks for getting us home for over five decades. *clink*