INTERSCAN Microwave Landing System - Engineering Heritage National Marker Essendon Fields, Victoria, Australia
By
Team MavEtJu on 29-Oct-15. Waypoint GA7702
Cache Details
Difficulty: | |
Terrain: | |
Type: | Virtual |
Container: | Virtual |
Coordinates: | S37° 43.400' E144° 53.811' (WGS 84) |
55H 314646E 5822799N (UTM) | |
Elevation: | 79 m |
Local Government Area: | Moonee Valley |
Description
INTERSCAN Microwave Landing System - Engineering Heritage National Marker
The INTERSCAN, which is short for Time INTERval SCANning) Microwave Landing System (MLS) was an Australian-developed technology created in response to a competition devised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and administered by the All Weather Operational Panel (AWOP) to find a replacement for the then current Instrument Landing System (ILS). The INTERSCAN system through superior design and technological diplomacy was accepted as the world standard technology for assisted landing in 1978 and is still being installed and used in airports around the world such as Heathrow Airport.
Despite the success of the technology on the international stage, in relatively recent history little has been done to acknowledge the significance of the system. The technology has mostly fallen out of the public’s interest and the prototype equipment, at Melbourne International Airport has been left exposed to the elements with little care for its historical value.
This Nomination for Engineers Heritage listing should lead to greater public awareness and possible recognition with other heritage recognising bodies, allowing this Australian achievement to be remembered for posterity.
Note: The plaque is inside the building near the INTERSCAN exhibit. If you find it, please determine the right location and let me know!
Note: Limited access to the area: Tours of the Airways Museum are available on Tuesdays 09:00 till 15:00 and at other times by appointment.
When logging this virtual, please add a photo of yourself or your GPSr at the plaque.
For more information, please see the nomination PDF at the Heritage Register at the Engineers Australia website: https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/portal/heritage/interscan-microwave-landing-system-1971-1978
Logs
{FTF}
A great museum to visit. Many Australian inventions for the aviation world. My First FTF for GCA
Thanks MavEtJu
Sadly the building is only open to the public at very restrictive times. Will have to remember next time Tuesday is a public holiday and I have some cashola to spare.