The First Omnirange Airways

Before Global Positioning System (GPS), airplanes in the United States relied on VORs to fly and in poor weather pilots would navigate from one VOR to another.

Each VOR is a small radio station that broadcasts on an assigned frequency.

For instance, the Canarsie VOR near the JFK airport covers New York; the Robert’s VOR is close to the Chicago Midway airport.

Though GPS has become the preferred means of navigation, the VOR network remains an essential layer of redundancy and a powerful testament to the reliable engineering that first made consistent, all-weather flight possible.