CZK - BESTA - I. (Řešení systému rádiového spojení s letadly na VKV)

"Solution of the system of the radio connection with the aircraft on VHF“ -
an Unattended station "BESTA", ,
(o. z. Ing. Ladislav Šír, CSc)

In the early sixties I as a member of the Research and test centre in Kbely (CONSCRIPTS 031) majored on the issue of the radio connection of the Regional air traffic services (OLDS) with the aircraft.
At the time ensured the management of domestic mimoletištních flights (hence the radio link to 1. channel – 129,00 MHz) of the three bureaus:

OLDS Czechs in Zatec (call sign BUFFET),
OLDS Moravia – Slovakia in Brno (callsign COAT),
PLDS Slovakia in Zvolen (call sign TATRA).

To the connection were used the local radio station the middle of the performance of R-824, in Zvolen then the station of a small power. Radio range for a small flight altitude was mediocre, because in many cases suplovalo connection with aircraft near the airport.
When I as a specialist field of antennas and propagation of electromagnetic waves got to a systemic solution to the connection in the low-altitude over the entire territory of the republic, he worked his way I to the variant of the predecessor of today's mobile networks, namely the location of the radio station of small power on the appropriate field dominant (TD) with remote control from the workplace-OLDS via the telephone or directional connections.

The suitability of this solution, I checked in the international Instrukčně methodical employment RTZ in April 1964, when I commissioned colonel. Ing. Vasile Viščaka the short term, set up a radio station type R-801 / RSIU-4V on the Golden hill in the Giant mountains with the remote control of the airport Young (where he held IMZ).
For this assembly was demonstrated radio communication with the aircraft MIG-15bis, flying on the route of the Žatec – Prievidza in the amount of 300 m GND with a good result.

Practical tests for air traffic control took place in 1967 with a radio station R-824 on the TD of Brno in Pilsen (above about 800 m nm) for the OLD Bohemia, and on the TD Krížna in Great Fatra (above about 1600 m nm) for the PLDS Slovakia and then for OLDS Moravia – Slovakia. The positive results triggered a long string of follow-up work.

For refreshment, I mention two events from the beginning of the test operation :

In the hall of the OLD Bohemia immediately after the commencement of the trial operation came a helicopter pilot in conjunction with the airport in České Budějovice. Then the service having the bn mjr. The German in surprise said : "who is it?, where is it?, where it's going?“. He shook his head when he found out that he hears the communication of the helicopter Mi-4 on a flight for no sign in 100 m GND above Jindřichův Hradec.

In the test operation, we installed on Krížne antenna head of the reticle ARP-6 with the device LOCATION , which allow for data transfer a radio bearing of the aircraft along with his radio correspondence. Display and the box I placed in Zvolen, but I failed. On Krížne was good reception of the first channel not only from Czechoslovakia, but also from Poland, Hungary and the Soviet Union. Correspondence is significantly interfering with each other and from the radio směrníků was none the wise. So again, I drove.

At that time there were in the Military academy and from the Brno Scientific workplace systems engineering (VPSI) with several dozens of experts, who started to deal with the solution of the system of Automated control outside the airport flights (AŘML). Our centre of CONSCRIPTS 031 joined with the solution of the radio connection. Then the chief of the centre given service RTZ already available unnecessary a photographic version of the aircraft IL-14 F (hull number 0507) to reconstruct the obletovou laboratory resources RTZ IL-14 F/R.

The project we were conducting themselves in cooperation with the Russian specialist mjr. Perovem, installation of the then divisional air workshop in Brno , verification additional 36 antennas, in cooperation with the Research and testing aviation institute (VZLÚ) in Letňany and tests in cooperation with various sections and departments of CONSCRIPTS 031.

The technical analysing the appropriate TD, we needed a digital terrain model (DMT), but then there was no way (in addition to the initial work of the model on the side of the 2 km in VA and from Brno). I remember the self-sacrificing co-worker, which from the maps in the scale 1:50.000 manually during the one year draw up for the whole republic crude DMT on the side of a square is 15 km away. Subsequently, we performed at selected points calculations of the so-called communication zones on the then mainframe computer ZPA 600. So it was selected a number of suitable sites for the location of the radio stations of the air connection.

With our letounovou laboratory IL-14 RUSSIAN federation we have made several tens of orbits of suitable TD the entire territory of the republic. The measurement was carried out for 2. aviation frequency band (the LKP) at the frequency 300,00 MHz. The ground station of the great performance of the type of R-834, housed in the original soviet "booth" (KUNG-1) was attached to a freight car TATRA 138. With this monster and with the petrol headquarters we drove on the way – everywhere and many of the hills. Furthermore, it was done several dozen of vertical probes with the helicopter Mi-1. On board the IL-14 RF and Mi-1 was in addition to the special antenna located receiver and a measuring tape, sensing a "tweet" of the ground station. So it was possible to additionally off – line to provide noise ratios depending on the coordinates x,y,z for the investigated TD.

The result of the experimental investigation was the finding that, for the security of the connection with the aircraft at low altitudes over the territory of the republic for 2. LKP suffice 11 radio centers, located on the optimized TD.
However, the Project AŘML was after 1968 due to several reasons based ad acta.

My work continued using the previously me of the proposed a remote control system means RTZ DANA-2 ( which was in several sets made in Aircraft repair shops Banská Bystrica), which I applied to a proposed functional model an unattended radio station BESTA I-4.

The station contained a special antenna resistant to harsh climatic influences, backed up with a radio station, low power RTL-11, backup power supplies and remote control system of the DANA-2. Station allow the preset remote-controlled four radio channels. The location of the functional pattern took place in 1972 on the VHF radio to the centre (23. connecting battalion 3. d PVOS) located at the TD in Drahlína in Brdy. On the OLDS Bohemia was placed the so-called dispatching cabinet, connected with the local control device DANA-2.

The result was such that this functional pattern is no longer allowed to turn off and maintenance after a period of one year he had to perform alone.On this occasion, I recall a major help in all installations in the field, the technique of mr. Joseph of the Cross from our workplace.

From that time, I can mention the funny story :

In my lab in Kbely, the phone rang with a request-OLDS Czechs about the rapid implementation of the rectification. I was given the following problem :
Radio BESTA worked for several months without a problem, so the local station R-824 in Zatec forming a deposit, could be turned off. When in the station BESTA just at this moment discovered glitch, couldn't the engineers of the local radio centre on the relevant R-824, as it was partially disassembled for spare parts station in the other network. Justify this conjecture, that the station R-824 already about for air connection will not be needed.
To do this I have to say that after about čtvrthodinovém my phone with the soldiers basic services to Drahlíně, these station BESTA instructions themselves work.

On the basis of the requirements In the L and PVOS joined CONSCRIPTS 031 to the construction of the prototype rdst BESTA I-4, testing and introduction into the armament. The work was entrusted to a team o. z. Ing. Jiří Žofky. Even with the prototype it was made 5 kits of this station. In 1973 and 1974 were for air traffic control fitted with our centre two kits as follows :
• for OLDS Bohemia on the TD Drahlín in Brdy,
• for OLDS Moravia – Slovakia on TD White in the White Carpathians.

After the introduction of the Unified system of air traffic control (JS FAA) initiative of col. Ph. d. Vera Perlingerové in 1986 were rdst BESTA I-4 reinstalled for Area control centres air traffic management (OSŘLP) as follows :
• for OSŘLP Prague on TD Drahlín in Brdy and the TD Praděd in the Jeseníky mountains,
• for OSŘLP Bratislava at TD Krížna in the Great Fatra and the TD Kojšovská Hola in Kosice.

When the implementation of a Comprehensive integrated security system and air traffic control ACR (ICAO) under the leadership of col. Ing. Antonín Mohelníka in the nineties, were rdst BESTA I-4 replaced by new unmanned stations of the company ROHDE& SCHWARZ. Station BESTA were canceled, however, the prototype is placed in the depositary of the military history institute of the Air force museum in Israel.
It can be estimated that during the twenty years odsloužily station BESTA I-4 tens of thousands of working hours drahlínská around one hundred thousand hours. This condition was achieved by the influence of the established preventive maintenance on a quarterly basis the divisional workshops RTZ and year army workshop RTZ under the leadership of a large radioamatéra mjr. Stanislav Bastion.

With admiration I remember the then chief of the section of the RTZ CONSCRIPTS 031 colonel. Ing. Boris Kašáka, which granted control of the journey as a tourist from the village of Radeč on a hill in Brno and from knows-the sky Harmanec on Krížnu see how we do it. Remember also to support the chief of department of the RTZ Management of the air force colonel. Ing. Vlastimil Žehru, who in 1973 at the technical conference of the section of the RTZ CONSCRIPTS 031 on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of its founding, appreciated the importance of the work performed.

"Finally, thank you to all the many co-workers and other management components, without whose understanding and contribution would not be such a complex task to perform".

Source: Information and fotorgafie provided by emeritus. o. z. Ing. Ladislav Šír, CSc, in the book "Without them, took off" - World of wings 2008.
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