[Milsurplus] Naval Aviation Navigation

[Peter Gottlieb]

At some point they had TACAN, but I think that was later than the time period 
you are talking about.  TACAN isn't a beacon, but responds to interrogation from 
the planes.  It would still be detectable, though.  They sent out random pulses 
so it was not possible to determine the level of aircraft activity by monitoring 
how busy the ship's transmitter was.



Michael St. Angelo wrote:
> Folks,
> 
> How did Naval Aviators find their way back to the Aircraft Carriers? They could have used beacons but constant beacon operation would have exposed the carrier location to enemy forces. I know some of the patrol planes had a second crewman who may have performed navigation duties but figher pilots went it alone.
> 
> I just finished reading Eddie Rickenbacker' autobiography. He was lost at sea in 1942 when a that the B17D that was ferrying him to MacArthur's headquarters in Port Morseby, New Guinea from Hawaii lost it's way and was forced to ditch. The challenge of ocean navigation was impressed on me during this story.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Mike St. Angelo
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