2008: At Last, The Year of Loran

On Monday, February 5, Anno Loran, word flashed around the world that the
United States had finally, publicly announced that LORAN would be continued and modernized for the long term.  Champagne corks popped around the world.

This is a very personal moment for me: my journey to secure satellite-based PNT with LORAN began with skepticism, ridicule and some anger from the GPS-only crowd.  But my journey is only 10 years long.  Most folks in the LORAN movement have been believers for a lifetime and have done excellent professional work for many years.  Indeed, it is the work of the pilots, navigators, and radio-navigation experts whose papers, all positive, have achieved success.  I salute this dedicated band of true believers and offer my thanks.  The world - all countries on all sides of the political divisions - will soon be a safer place.

Now, in an instant, we are suddenly members of the establishment!  We will have to learn how to be respectable.  For me, this will require some effort.  It’s not in my DNA.

For the future, the opportunities are boundless.  We now begin the search for applications.  Aviation, maritime, land navigation, military, telecom - almost everywhere GNSS goes LORAN can follow as a complementary companion.  LORAN and GNSS - a partnership made in radio-navigation - pardon me - PNT heaven.

The work has already begun.  As a dedicated Europhile, I am pleased that the Europeans are leading the way.  The Americans have been stalled in recent years.  Now our vessel is away from the dock and underway.

The details of the US decision - funding, management, etc. - are still a bit unclear and I won’t attempt to predict the specifics.  By the end of the year 2008 we will know more. But we can be certain that all 24 LORSTAS will continue, modernization will continue, several new transmitters will be built, and one or two may be relocated.  It is also almost certain that the LORSTAS will be automated and de-manned, as the Europeans have been doing for years.  Private companies take notice.

A word about the US Federal Radionavigation Plan, aka the FRP.  The FRP is supposed to be published every two years.  Recently it has been delayed because of the delay in the LORAN decision.  Work is now under way with a target date of 31 September 2008.  LORAN will be included in the FRP.  Let me add that many in the world radio navigation community attach too much significance to the US FRP.  It is not a statement of future US policy.  The real action is in the Congress, the Executive Branch, and in the user community.  For the true state of play in the US contact the international Loran Association.

In recent years we have heard the comment that the ILA is too US-centric.  The comment is valid, but, in light of the enormous importance of the US decision, the US focus was probably in everyone’s interest.  But the ILA is changing.  Now the ILA board of directors has a large component of non-US members.  I have agreed to stand for re-election for one more year only.  In 2009 we are seeking a non-US citizen to serve as President.  In 2009 our annual meeting will probably return to the US to hear the implementation of the US decision.  UK Trinity house’s Dr. Sally Basker and I agree that San Francisco would be a splendid venue.  Why not? LORAN is in the big time now.  But in 2010 the ILA will surely go outside the US and, I hope, will continue to do so. Suggestions for a 2010 venue are welcome.

The 2008 ILA annual meeting will be at Church House, Westminster, London from October 27 through October 30.  The Royal Institute of Navigation has kindly invited the ILA to co-sponsor its annual meeting.  Much thanks to David Last, David Broughton, and the RIN board for the invitation and for the support for LORAN over the years.  We will get a report on the General Lighthouse Authority’s splendid new LORAN station, the first in many years, installed, operated, and owned by VT Systems - an example of European leadership.  This will be a celebratory meeting and will feature, I am sure, the demolition of many bottles of Champagne.  I urge everyone to attend.

Finally I thank the members of the ILA for according me the honor of serving as your president.  The friendships of many people around the world, and the achievements of our dedicated band, are the highlights of my life.