Posted on 04/23/2015 2:09:18 PM PDT by naturalman1975
Australia's tallest man-made structure, the Omega tower, has been demolished in a paddock in Gippsland.
The Omega radio navigation tower stood at around 430 metres tall but after a series of explosions it was brought crashing to Earth.
The defence facility was used for submarine navigation in the 1980s and '90s and was decommissioned in 2008.
The Department of Defence decided to demolish the tower after a young base jumper plunged to his death last year when his parachute failed to open.
Michael Pollock from the Department of Defence said the structure was no longer needed.
"From Defence's perspective, we've got to manage our liabilities appropriately and therefore it's time for the tower to go," he said.
The 300-hectare property will be decontaminated and advertised for sale.
(Excerpt) Read more at abc.net.au ...
Quite interesting. Thank you.
In the 80s I installed several Omega navigation systems on commercial aircraft. By the time I got out of aviation in the early 90s, GPS was coming online and the Omega system was falling into disuse. If the GPS system were shut down for any reason, the entire aviation industry would be grounded.
Why close this Darwinian gene pool eliminator, keep it open, improve the gene pool of humanity.
Our science teacher around 1961 was a retired ship’s navigator. He used mechanical devices to read the stars etc.
I once asked him how accurate they were. He said that at their best they could get down to a few yards. Not sure exactly what that meant but I was impressed.
He worked for Lykes Lines.
I used the omega system once going from Puget Sound to Borneo. My sextant was far more reliable & accurate.
Unfortunately the way courts rule nowadays, the risk of massive payouts make this pretty much impossible.
“You must have known the risk that somebody might jump off this tower!”
The Defence budget is tight enough that you can’t be wasting money on this. And longer term, maintenance costs would definitely be a factor as well.
I’m sorry to see it go - it was part of our history - but nostalgia has limits.
Sure, if you’re a properly trained navigator and the weather is in your favour.
I learned navigation in the Navy - on a large ship in stable seas with clear skies, and a reliable clock, I could get our position down to, maybe a mile. That was considered acceptable, but there were people better at it than I was.
The real test of a seaman is being able to do it in a small boat in a heavy sea.
You needed to be properly trained navigator to use the Omega. (granted not near as much as celestial)
The Omega had to be in favor of your global position.
We anchored in position using my sun lines. Terain was to flat for a good radar return and we were out of the “acurate” covered area of Omega
My Brother-in-Law was a navigator-bombardier in the Navy. He flew over a lot of Russian ships during the Cuban Missile Crises.
One day I saw him about to burn a stack of maps maybe a foot high at my parents. I asked him if I could have them and he gave them to me.
They were fascinating tho I had no idea what a bunch of the navigation markings meant. I do remember the word “Loran” appeared all over them.
“The real test of a seaman is being able to do it in a small boat in a heavy sea.”
That’s what she said.
Thank you, I’ll be here all week.
Think your hands can't sweat from just watching a video? Think again.
2002 Bicentennial Edition. Is that yours?
Mine is 1962
My US Navy Diving Manual is 1970
Getting old beats the alternative:)
Loran = Omega, i.e. same technology of low-frequency radio navigation. There was one in the Oklahoma panhandle until the system was decommissioned. It was operated by US Navy with military personnel.
No that’s just the best image copy of an older version I could find.
My copy is early 60’s as well. Anytime I’m feeling cocky and think I know everything I crack it open and read a page or two for an instant humbling.
"Ceterum censeo 0bama esse delendam."
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
"Ceterum censeo 0bama esse delendam."
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
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