According to a news story on the National Business Aviation Association website, the FAA is finalizing a policy that includes identifying 308 very high frequency, omnidirectional radio range (VOR) navaids that will be decommissioned as part of industry’s transition to satellite-based instrument approach procedures.
The FAA’s policy statement, published July 26, lists 308 VORs that are being considered for decommissioning. The list mirrors what an industry working group, which included NBAA, recommended as part of the agency’s effort to streamline its workload.
The FAA’s criteria for selecting which VORs will remain operational includes prioritizing VORs that support international oceanic arrival routes, provide coverage at and above 5,000 feet agl, and are used by the military.
The FAA has classified 736 redundant or underused VOR approaches using criteria and a process proposed by the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) based on surveys and research. FSF met with industry groups as part of its analysis.
As part of the decommissioning process, the FAA will publish notices on each VOR slated for elimination and solicit public input. The VORs will be closed in two phases: One running through 2020, and the second from 2021 to 2025.
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They should leave the equipment in place, simply not operating. Or possibly have a pilot controlled way of turning them on? Something like at some airports when the tower is closed.
A “skeleton network” of VORs will be in place for the forseeable future for National Defense purposes. Coincidentally, the same thinking will ensure that certain primary radars will remain operational well beyond 2020.
Why? EMP = no GPS. It’ll take some time to rebuild a satellite based system under worst-case scenarios, so a “fall-back” plan will be required.
It’s really that simple.
So many are spring loaded it seems to the “oh, my gosh the sky is falling, how will I be able to navigate without VORs, what can I do….?” Puhleez people only those VORs that are used rarely are being decommissioned, not the hundreds of others that will be used for quite some time to come. The wringing hands crowd it seems just waits for one of these broadcasts to be made so they can emote! Of course their reply to me will be: “Just wait Mr. Smarty Pants until you’re out some dark and stormy night searching for a VOR to fix your position and none are available because they’ve been decommissioned.” OK, alright already, I get it.
With hundreds of millions of $$$ in equipment in aircraft today, it would be a shame to do away with this great system . . . I understand the minimal usage for approaches but cross country VOR navigation is still highly desirable
Maybe I need an ADF to backup the GPS in my plane. Can always go old school, and track AM radio stations.
So, what happens on a dark and rainy night, or even in somewhat better weather, when all the glass panels go blank and you are almost to your destination and flying over not welcoming terrain or approaching a myriad of regulated air spaces including your airport of intended landing.
i believe that VORs are a valluable tool in safe flying. At least one could probably navigate using VORs and get somewhere to land safely. A cross check of two VORs gives a rather accurate idea of your position.
I for one, would miss them, since we always have one or more tuned as we fly, even with our GPS type equipment operating normally
I am one of the young guys but I am sad to see these old technology VOR’s going away. It will be interesting to see if state department’s of transportation will take over any VOR’s from the FAA.
VOR is not going away. They are simply decommissioning beacons that are either not used or rarely used. Most will remain as a backup in case the GPS system goes down.
With which I agree wholeheartedly. A ton of money is being spent on these VORs unnecessarily. As long as a basic backup set of VORs is maintained for use in emergencies, they should be decommissioned as planned.