AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - August 2014 - 132

P&E

NEVER AGAIN

Flying the beam
Near miss with a T-33
BY LESTER H. HOLLANS

132 | AOPA PILOT August 2014

JAMES CAREY

ON AUGUST 21, 1961, I was making a night instrument flight into Birmingham, Alabama.
My airplane was an Army de Havilland Beaver. With its 450-horsepower Pratt &
Whitney R-985 radial engine and its long, high-aspect-ratio wings, flying on instruments in the clouds was not a challenge, but a joy. My logbook shows that the aircraft
was a 1955 model with a tail number of 541706.
Birmingham still had its obsolete four-course low-frequency navigational beams
in place. This archaic navigation system required aircraft to intercept one of four designated compass headings for approaches to or departures from the airport. In Army
Instrument School we had been required to become skilled in flying this instrument
approach, even though it would soon be replaced everywhere with VHF omni range
facilities. Each of Birmingham's low-frequency navigational legs had a Morse code
identifier. When a leg was intercepted, you heard a specific two-letter code for that

leg. The signals you were listening
for were either an "A" (dot-dash) or
an "N" (dash-dot). When you were
flying straight down the centerline,
these signals merged into a steady,
monotonous signal. Straying right
or left of the center resulted in
hearing an "A" or "N." Pilots affectionately called this crude flying
technique "flying the beam." I
was proud of my skill in following
these old signals. I could navigate
the old-fashioned way and make a
safe low approach until I broke out
of the clouds and made my landing.
About 25 miles south of the
city, I planned to intercept the
southbound leg and fly toward the
low-frequency marker beacon.
Upon reaching the beacon, I was
required to turn left on that leg and
go outbound to make a 180-degree
procedure turn. This was a standard maneuver to maintain spacing
of aircraft that were flying blind in
the clouds. The procedure turn on
the west leg would put me back
on an easterly course toward the
marker beacon, where I expected
a call from approach control clearing me for a final approach into
Birmingham. While still south of
the city and in the clouds, I was
turned over to the approach controller at
Birmingham, who gave me these instructions:
"Army Five-Four-One-Seven-Zero-Six,
intercept the south leg and proceed to the
marker beacon. Do not turn west for a procedure turn. Report the marker beacon and
turn right. Expect a clearance for a straight-in
approach to Birmingham."
"Roger. Understand I am to turn right at the
outer marker and expect a straight-in approach
to Birmingham, over."
That seemed simple enough, not to mention
how much time it would save me by not having
to take five minutes to go left for the 180-degree
procedure turn and come back to the marker
beacon. Intercepting the southbound leg of the
LF marker beacon was no problem. But before
I reached the marker beacon, I heard another
pilot make this call: "Birmingham Approach,
this is Air Force jet One-Two-Three-Four-Five.

AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - August 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - August 2014