[Milsurplus] airborne radio activity

[David Stinson]

Mac wrote:
> 
> we're they limited to just 1 relay plane ??

Perhaps not, but double-hopping repeaters is tough to
do successfully with modern equipment.  
And that complexity doubles the need for paperwork and
documentation to coordinate such a complex system.
Where is the paperwork and documentation?
As far as I know, none exists. Plenty has survived
for the HF system, so at least *something* should 
be out there on a piece of paper.  But no sectional,
no Airways guide, no Radio Operator's flight manual
nor any other single scrap mentions it.  Every one 
I've seen shows HF and simplex VHF.  I submit that any
system that was "standard procedure" in 1945 must have been
mentioned in the procedure books, frequency lists,
training materials etc. of the time.  
The HF and VHF simplex systems certainly were.  

On the other hand, something "cobbled together" to provide
a relay for tactical aircraft could have happened without
all the paperwork.  Such innovations happened all the time,
like the SCR-522s wired into tanks so they could talk
to their air support.  While that system wasn't "official"
and thus wasn't documented in the manuals, it was at least
mentioned in the action reports and unit histories.
The airborne repeater system has only a couple of 
eye witnesses- whom I believe are telling the truth
as they remember it.

73 DE Dave AB5S