Electroacoustic transducers, mentioned in the section Speed measurement, measure the time that elapses between the transmission of a sharp acoustic “ping” from the keel of a ship and the return of the echo from the sea bottom. A radar altimeter similarly measures the distance between an aircraft and the ground by timing the reflection of short pulses of radio waves. A more common form of radio altimeter, better suited for measuring rate of change of altitude, transmits waves continuously and derives the height from the phase difference between the transmitted signal and that reflected from the ground. An observed phase difference is, in fact, consistent with a large set of discrete altitudes, but in practice such radio altimeters are used in connection with instrument landing systems for measuring altitude and rate of descent during the last few seconds before touchdown. At this stage, the lowest altitude consistent with the observed phase difference is the correct one. When the aircraft reaches a height of about 65 feet (20 metres), the landing system initiates a programmed reduction in rate of descent to ensure a firm but safe touchdown.

In the usage of navigation, distance-measuring equipment (DME) denotes a specific system, defined by internationally accepted standards. Aircraft fitted with DME transmit radio pulses at one of 126 designated frequencies; arrival of these pulses at a DME beacon on the ground causes the beacon—after a 50-microsecond delay—to transmit responding pulses at another frequency. The time elapsing between the aircraft’s transmission and its reception of the response is measured by a clock accurate to a few nanoseconds and converted into the distance, which is displayed in digital form. The position of the aircraft can be determined by combining the distance indicated by the DME with the direction from a VOR beacon at the same site as the DME beacon. Alternatively, position can be established by triangulation, using the distances between the airplane and two well-separated DME beacons.

Position hyperbolas

If a gun at position M in the figure were fired, a listener 1,100 feet (335 metres) away in any direction—that is, anywhere on the smallest circle centred at M—would hear the sound one second later; a listener 2,200 feet (670 metres) away, on the second circle, two seconds later; and so on. If guns at M and S were fired simultaneously, a listener anywhere on AB, equidistant from M and S, would hear them at the same time. On a craft closer to one gun than the other, the sound of the nearer gun would be detected first. If gun M were heard one second before gun S, the craft would lie on CD, one of the two branches of a hyperbola; at a craft on C′D′, the other branch of the same hyperbola, gun S would be heard one second earlier than gun M. At a craft 2,200 feet closer to gun M, that gun would be heard two seconds before gun S, and the craft would lie on EF. Hence, by timing the interval to the nearest second, it is possible to determine on which hyperbola the observer is located; knowledge of which gun was fired first makes it possible to choose between the two branches.

In some radio navigation systems, such as loran, the firing of guns is replaced by radio transmissions. A family of hyperbolas as shown in the figure may be printed on a chart. A second family of hyperbolas, referring to a second pair of stations, can be printed on the same chart; the position of a craft is determined by the unique intersection of two curves. In radio systems, one of the two stations in a pair (the primary) controls the other (the secondary) to ensure accurate synchronization of the signals. In some systems, two or three secondaries are distributed around a single primary station, and two or three families of hyperbolas are printed on the appropriate chart.

Loran in its original form (now called Loran-A) was introduced during World War II; it operated at frequencies near 2 megahertz, but interference with and by other services and unreliable performance at night and over land led to its replacement by Loran-C. Loran-C transmitters operate at frequencies of 90 to 110 kilohertz, and the signals are useful at distances of 1,800 nautical miles or more.

Decca, named for the British company that introduced it in 1946, is a hyperbolic system related to loran. Its primary and secondary transmitters broadcast different harmonics of a common frequency as continuous waves, rather than pulses. The hyperbolic position lines for any pair of transmitters are determined by the phase difference between the signals received, rather than the difference in arrival times of pulses. This arrangement provides a remarkably accurate and reliable system covering a range of 100–300 miles (160–480 km) from the primary station. Decca equipment is widely installed on ships and enjoys particular favour among fishermen, who can use it to return to specific shoals with great precision. Aircraft installations are less common than those of VOR/DME, the internationally accepted system for position finding. Decca is very well suited to navigation of helicopters, however, which usually operate at altitudes well below those at which VOR/DME is most effective.