Airservices checks navigation equipment in Tas, Qld, Vic

The public will also have a rare chance to inspect first hand the aircraft used by the national air navigation services provider to conduct the checks when it visits Melbourne mid-month. The highly specialised aircraft will be open for inspection at Essendon Airport on 14 November as part of an open day at the Civil Aviation Historical Societys Airways Museum. It is one of two Beechcraft King Airs used by Airservices to check the functional accuracy of over 500 pieces of critical air navigation equipment at regional and major airports, aerodromes and airstrips. The long term nation-wide program sees all equipment checked on a three-year rotational basis to ensure the safety of the flying public. Airservices FIS will carry out routine and special flight inspection checks in November at: TAS Hobart, Tea Tree, Nile, Launceston QLD Rockhampton, Biboohra, Cairns, Barcaldine, Mt Isa, Tennant Creek (NT) VIC Wonthaggi, Cowes. The service will also check the performance of navigation aids around major airports in Brisbane and Sydney. Equipment being tested includes instrument landing systems (ILS), distance measuring equipment (DME), non-directional beacons (NDB) and VHF omni-range (VOR) navigation aids. The inspections are performed by specialist aircrew using a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air aircraft and precision equipment to collect data. This data is then analysed by Airservices maintenance and engineering specialists to ensure each navigation aid is operating accurately.