CLYDE LONGHART 1946 - 1980 COMMUNICATIONS SUPERINTENDENT, SUPERINTENDENT-RADIO DEPARTMENT, DIRECTOR-AVIONICS, DIRECTOR-GROUND RADIO DEN SUNLINER NEWS HIGHLIGHTS Vol. 2 - #10 (Sept. 1953) "H" markers - Radio beacon operating in the 200-400 KC band - omni directional, tied to anautomatic Directional Finder (ADF) on DC-3s. automatically supplies continuous info on the bearing of the radio beam in relation to the aircraft heading. First used at Durango Oct. 15, 1947. Later at LaVeta pass and Alamosa, Chama, Farmington & Gallup. Used 60' poles. Chama installation in first big snow storm of 1947 season. Power increased from 50 to 100 watts First IFR authorization between Denver/Farmington was July 29, 1948 "H" markers on Albuquerque/Salt Lake City segment was next to be tackled. Some marker sites were over 100 miles from an airport. Wasatch Range in Utah presented problems which took two years to solve. Were solved completely in 1952. 20 "H" Markers on system in 1953. Only 10% of FL's system on Federal airways. Clyde Longhart and his wife drove mountainous backroads to get to installations. Longhart - Supt. of Radio Dept. at this time. Clyde C. Longhart, DEN director avionics, born Jan 24, 1913, died 9/24/89 at Arvada, CO, age 76. Date of hire with Monarch Aug 8, 1946. -Ken SchuLtz database (1/12/08) Clyde is listed in the 1979 FL Quick Reference Directory as Director-Ground Radio. He is not listed in the 1980 QRD. An Aug 1980 article notes his retirement Jul 1, 1980 with 33 years. -Jake lamkins (2/2/08) I had the privilege of working for Clyde starting in October 1949 until I took another job within the company for the VP of Maint. I worked in radio shop for several months until there was a need for help on H marker and station radios. It was an experience that I'll never forget installing H's. Clyde would tell us, George Bradley and me, to find a location within certain perameters, make a deal with the owner of the land, make arrangements for power and we would be on our way. We would really have a job telling owners that we were installing a radio station for aircraft navigation. Through this period of ground radio Clyde would contact us via teletype to tell us if a problem existed at a station and one of us would drive or fly to repair. Met a lot of agents through those years. When I quit the ground radio business and returned to aircraft maintenance "radio" was out and "avionics" was in. Clyde was then Director of Avionics. There were a number of traveling radiomen. Clyde started, Lloyd Lockhart, Don Thoele, Syl Cuellar, George Bradley, Me, Martin Rink, Don Carlbom, Wayne Dikeman. I did it for 15 years. An xsperience one will never forget. -Leo Schuster (2/4/08) Ken Schultz sent a wonderful packet of FL historical articles and photos about Clyde and his pioneering work in air navigation. They will be featured in the FL newsletter in coming issues. -Jake Lamkins (3/16/08) I started working for FL on 23rd Dec 1950 at DRO. The article on Clyde Longhart (Spring 2008 FL newsletter) brought back memories. We had an H Marker here in DRO; had to turn it on in the a.m. and off in the p.m. - something to do with White Sands as I recall. We took our own weather reports and had to monitor the H Markers in our area - as I recall it was ALS, MVS, Laveta, GUP, FMN & CEZ. I worked in DRO & moved to FMN in 1951 when they moved the transfer point there. Back to DRO after nine months and worked there till July of 1958 at which time I and Carl Clark traded places. I went to PHX & he came to DRO. In 1961 I bid for DIK & moved there as manager. I and my agent Don Kadrmas also relieved Harvey Schiermeyer in LEM on the weekends. In 1962 I moved back to PHX and finished up my career there. In 1977 I had enough of the hot summers and transferred to WYS for the summer. I did this for 6 years - the most enjoyable portion of my career. I thoroughly enjoyed working through the best years of airline history I think, when you treated people well and gave them good service. I retired in 1985 & moved back to DRO to run my dad's ranch when he passed away. -Vern Crawley (7/30/08) (For the not-so-oldtimers: MVS - Monte Vista CO, *Laveta - Pass where H Marker located, DIK - Dickinson ND, LEM - Lemmon SD. FL pilot Karl Penner died here in a crash Mar 22, 1969 while piloting a private aircraft taking his barbershop quartet to a show in CEZ. -Jake Lamkins) Clyde is mentioned in Greg Stearns' FL history on page 21. -Jake Lamkins (8/14/12) C. C. LONGHART DEN communications superintendent per the Nov 1955 FL Roster. C. C. LONGHART Notation says Clyde DEN communications superintendent DOB 1/24/13 DOH 8/8/46 per the Feb 1960 FL Roster. -Jake Lamkins (11/1/12) Posted at FLacebook and the FL Club: DEN director-ground radio Clyde Longhart's memorial webpage has been updated. Ten items added but still need an obituary. Clyde pioneered aviation navigation in the Rocky Mountains. -His widow, Laura, now 96, still subscribes to the FL newsletter. -Jake Lamkins (11/15/12) I worked for Clyde as his Secretary beginning in 1976. After 4 or 5 years I was promoted to Scheduler. I met the Manager of Avionics, Roy Deeming, and ended up marrying him 8 yrs later. I ended up transfering to the terminal as Secretary to the Manager of Customer Service. Clyde and Laura were very special friends to Roy and me. -Carolyn Deeming (11/15/12)