Monday, April 13, 2015

WW1: Air Trafficking & Radio Control

Charles Bovill and His Leap in Air to Ground Communication Technology
By Edward Orville
Leaf Tree Publishers - $15.99

          Charles Bovill founded an era of advancements in the field of air to ground and inter-plane communications and air trafficking. His inventions made the modern world possible. Today, these kinds of air to ground communications are used every day in airports, military bases, flight schools, and more. They are necessary to convey warnings, orders, tips, and other things to and from pilots and ground control stations. Without these methods of communication, anything involving air travel would be highly dangerous and much more difficult.
          Charles Bovill's inventions, the S-phone and the Eureka, enabled some of the early methods of air to ground communications in planes. The S-phone, invented in the 1940s,  enabled pilots to have a much greater accuracy in low visibility situations such as flying through storms and fog. This greatly aided the plane's ability to drop supplies, people, and weapons such as bombs. They also allowed pilots and ground control agents to communicate up to thirty miles away with little chance for interference or enemy interception. It was relatively easy to carry and transport as well, as it was just a large phone that was usually stored in a briefcase. The S-phone was even used between gunboats when fighting in or guarding coasts, seas, or other bodies of water.                
          The S-phone and the Eureka combined aided in a great deal of communication between pilots and ground control and even from pilot to pilot or in other methods of transportation such as boats. This communication changed the realm of military tactics as well as many other methods of air and sea travel forever and paved a path towards newer, more advanced methods of long range radio communication. This book goes into riveting detail about Charles Bovill's life and inventions as well as their use throughout history and how they lead to modern technology.

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