ESP VORTAC

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Designation ESP
Name Espichel
Position N38°25.4' W009°11.1'
Google MapsN38°25.4' W009°11.1'
Frequency 112.5 MHz
Type VORTAC
Geography Espichel VORTAC is located near Cabo Espichel, on the West coast of Portugal. It is not exactly at the cape (the light house and the former monastry), but a few kilometres inland. You can clearly see the beacon on top of a hill when you drive over the (only) road towards the actual cape. Reaching the beacon is tricky. When driving towards the Cape, just before you reach a few cafes on the main road you need to take a left turn into a small village just East of the beacon. Follow the signs for the football fields and you cannot miss the beacon. A 4-wheel-drive car is not required but would be nice to have.
Procedures ESP plays an important role in the Southern arrival and departure routes to and from Lisbon airport, and is also a major fix in the international airway system. Its function as a coast-in beacon from the Atlantic makes it critical for navigation by planes not yet equipped with GPS receivers.

Photo 1 The Espichel beacon in the landscape. [...]
Photo 2 The beacon is a combination of a Doppler VOR (the circle of orange balls) and a TACAN (the cylinder in the centre). [...]
Photo 3 The first beacon hut with windows! [...]
Photo 4 Airconditioners are required here! [...]
Photo 5 Yes, the GPS worked again, as always. [...]
All photos

Page updated 2008-12-31

© 2024 Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers For more information, mail to hoppie@hoppie.nl