Airport’s Plan to Save Navigational Device Doesn’t Fly

Relocating a navigational device to the roof of an office building has not improved its performance for pilots approaching John Wayne Airport.

The device--a very high frequency omnidirectional range transmitter or VOR--was put atop a MacArthur Court office building after radio-wave deflections from a Hutton Centre skyscraper were found to be interfering with its operation on the ground. But it did not help.

“The experiment failed,” said airport manager George A. Rebella on Thursday. “Moving it atop the building did not improve its performance as hoped.”

The device provides weather information and helps pilots determine their position in relation to the airport. Used mostly by pilots of small private aircraft, it supplements the airport’s main instrument landing system, which is used primarily by jetliners.

The Next Step

Rebella said the next step is to try other radio beacon devices less prone to building interference. The airport manager also said he will try to interest the airlines in buying costly, state-of-the art microwave equipment.

Without the VOR in working order, all aircraft approaching John Wayne Airport must be guided into a narrow airspace over Tustin, where residents are worried about noise from more air traffic and the increased odds of an accident over their homes.

Angry county officials have blamed the radio-wave deflection problem on the City of Santa Ana and owners of the 10-story Hutton Centre building. They say the city allowed construction to proceed after the FAA gave notice that it was reviewing the project as a potential hazard to air navigation.

City and Hutton Centre officials say the FAA never stated explicitly what should be done.

Airport officials have used the Freedom of Information Act to gain access to FAA files to help determine if anyone can be sued for the cost of replacing the VOR.

“They’re 12 inches thick,” Rebella said of the files Thursday. “We haven’t finished reviewing them yet.”