Knoxville guys, what is this thing. Spotted it from upper deck in Neyland.

#26
#26
FLVOL_79 said:
Those coordinates I posted are for the Volunteer VORTAC which is what the OP was asking about.

1800 Ridgewood Drive.

If you got a map loc of another navaid I'd like to check it out.
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So does 1800 Ridgewood serve McGhee Tyson, Downtown Island, or both? I haven't zoomed out on a map but it could be on a line connecting the two. Is it lined up with the TYS runway(s)?
 
#27
#27
Thunder Good-Oil said:
So does 1800 Ridgewood serve McGhee Tyson, Downtown Island, or both? I haven't zoomed out on a map but it could be on a line connecting the two. Is it lined up with the TYS runway(s)?
Click to expand...

Its owned by TYS. I think the downtown island is basically a visual approach only with no air traffic control so they probably don't use the VORTAC. My "expertise" lies within FAA Radar Surveillance and computer automation systems used by air traffic controllers. VORTAC would be a navigational aid, maintained and owned by the FAA, but used by pilots.

Edit: Its offset from the runways but I believe that might be how it works. It basically radiates a frequency that when lined up in the plane kind of points the aircraft in the right direction. As you get closer to the airport you can use glideslope/localizer to pretty much line yourself up on the runway even if you can't see it.
 
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#28
#28
FLVOL_79 said:
Its owned by TYS. I think the downtown island is basically a visual approach only with no air traffic control so they probably don't use the VORTAC. My "expertise" lies within FAA Radar Surveillance and computer automation systems used by air traffic controllers. VORTAC would be a navigational aid, maintained and owned by the FAA, but used by pilots.

Edit: Its offset from the runways but I believe that might be how it works. It basically radiates a frequency that when lined up in the plane kind of points the aircraft in the right direction. As you get closer to the airport you can use glideslope/localizer to pretty much line yourself up on the runway even if you can't see it.
Click to expand...

Does it direct approaches from either direction? I've watched many planes approach TYS from the NE, generally flying in from east of Sharps Ridge (and the half dozen or so 1,500' broadcast towers planted on it). Would the infrastructure at 1800 also guide planes approaching the TYS runways from the opposite direction?
 
#29
#29
Thunder Good-Oil said:
Does it direct approaches from either direction? I've watched many planes approach TYS from the NE, generally flying in from east of Sharps Ridge (and the half dozen or so 1,500' broadcast towers planted on it). Would the infrastructure at 1800 also guide planes approaching the TYS runways from the opposite direction?
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Yeah its just a fix that a plane locks onto. So basically its transmitting a VHF radio frequency (164 something). You would tune in your direction finding thingy so no matter where you were the arrow would point toward the transmitted signal. Again, I'm not 100% sure since I don't work on that stuff..note my technical jargon "direction finding thingy". I think they are used to to basically get you lined up with the airport, the pilots do a visual approach or use ILS..but you'd have to ask a pilot about that one.
 
#30
#30
FLVOL_79 said:
Yeah its just a fix that a plane locks onto. So basically its transmitting a VHF radio frequency (164 something). You would tune in your direction finding thingy so no matter where you were the arrow would point toward the transmitted signal. Again, I'm not 100% sure since I don't work on that stuff..note my technical jargon "direction finding thingy". I think they are used to to basically get you lined up with the airport, the pilots do a visual approach or use ILS..but you'd have to ask a pilot about that one.
Click to expand...

SpaceCoastVol needs a navigation thingy to locate the Pub.
 
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#31
#31
FLVOL_79 said:
Those coordinates I posted are for the Volunteer VORTAC which is what the OP was asking about.

1800 Ridgewood Drive.

If you got a map loc of another navaid I'd like to check it out.
Click to expand...

I thought you were talking about the stuff in Neyland. My bad.
 
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#37
#37
I don't think it's a plane navigation aid at all. I think they're trying to grow a tower or something. I don't know if they're growing another sunsphere or maybe it's gonna be another BFC like you see by the freeways but I'm pretty sure that's what they're doing.
 
#38
#38
pismonque said:
I don't think it's a plane navigation aid at all. I think they're trying to grow a tower or something. I don't know if they're growing another sunsphere or maybe it's gonna be another BFC like you see by the freeways but I'm pretty sure that's what they're doing.
Click to expand...

Big f****** Cross?
 
#44
#44
Coug said:
What's crazy is I think those things cost about 50-100 grand, maybe even more.
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There's a church by I-75 in Chattanooga that dropped $700k on theirs. Granted, they have three crosses and they're much prettier than the standard BFC but....

94432582.jpg
 
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