The introduction of Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), an Australian development, brought significant operational and safety benefits. Manufacturer of both airborne and ground DME equipment, Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) - known as AWA - was not slow to advertise these benefits as this ad from the October 1953 issue of the Australian National Airways magazine Air Travel shows.

The depiction is reasonably accurate with an early-style analogue distance/groundspeed readout on the instrument panel and the control box mounted in the cockpit roof to the Captain's left.

(Ad: via Maurice Austin)

Left: In 1967 AWA was still using the same 'Milestones in the Sky' slogan in its advertisting. However, miniturisation of electronics had enabled the design of the VAN 5 airborne DME equipment, which was both small and light enough to be installed even in light aircraft.

Click on the image at left to download a .pdf version of the VAN 5 brochure.

(Brochure: CAHS collection)

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