EN Briefing 1948-49

Don Charlwood at the aerodrome serviceability board in the Essendon Briefng Office in 1948. Coloured tags show whether facilities at the various aerodromes are available and/or serviceable. The board is divided into sections which each deal with the aerodromes along the major air routes (e.g. Melbourne-Western Junction-Cambridge). 'Homer' refers to what is called today a Non Directional Beacon (NDB), and it is interesting to note that Direction-Finding (D-F) facilities are fairly widely available.

This photo is particularly interesting for the aerodromes that are listed but no longer exist (such as Berwick), and those that have yet to make an appearance. A number of aerodromes have also changed name over the years, such as Western Junction (now Launceston). Valley Fields, a wartime aerodrome in central Tasmania, is shown as abandoned in 1948 but it was used for air-racing in the mid-1990s!

(Photo: Athol Shmith/CAHS collection)

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Essendon Briefing 1948-49

Don Charlwood, Operations Officer, assisting Captain Max Angwin to compile his flight plan in the Melbourne/Essendon Briefing Office in 1949. The Captain was from Ansett Airways, operating DC3s. He is using a Dalton navigation computer to calculate heading and ground-speed. On the counter is a copy of ANFAC - Airway Navigational Facilities - a booklet that gave details of all airways and navigational facilities throughout Australia. (Photo: CAHS collection)

Don Charlwood at the aerodrome serviceability board in the Essendon Briefng Office in 1948. Coloured tags show whether facilities at the various aerodromes are available and/or serviceable. The board is divided into sections which each deal with the aerodromes along the major air routes (e.g. Melbourne-Western Junction-Cambridge). 'Homer' refers to what is called today a Non Directional Beacon (NDB), and it is interesting to note that Direction-Finding (D-F) facilities are fairly widely available. This photo is particularly interesting for the aerodromes that are listed but no longer exist (such as Berwick), and those that have yet to make an appearance. A number of aerodromes have also changed name over the years, such as Western Junction (now Launceston). Valley Fields, a wartime aerodrome in central Tasmania, is shown as abandoned in 1948 but it was used for air-racing in the mid-1990s! (Photo: Athol Shmith/CAHS collection) Back to the main Air Traffic Services index If this page appears without menu bars at top and left, click here