Definition
A ground-based radio navigation system that uses low-frequency signals transmitted from a network of fixed shore stations to determine an aircraft's position. The receiver measures the time difference between signals arriving from a master station and two or more secondary stations, and converts those time differences into a geographic position fix.
Plain English
A way of finding your position by listening to radio signals from several known transmitters on the ground and measuring how long each signal takes to arrive. The receiver does the math and tells you where you are.
Context Anchor
Seen in older navigation and radio-wave reception discussions, especially when comparing ground-based navigation systems and how signal problems affect them.
Derivation
The name is a straightforward acronym from 'LOng RAnge Navigation,' coined during World War II when the system was developed to help ships and aircraft fix their position far from land using long-range radio signals. The 'long range' part is what distinguished it from earlier short-range radio aids.
Why Pilots Care
It enables reliable position fixes over oceans and remote areas beyond the range of line-of-sight systems such as VOR.
Intuition Check
LORAN is not GPS. It uses timed radio signals from ground stations, not signals from satellites.
Example Sentence 1
Before GPS became standard equipment, many general aviation aircraft used a LORAN receiver as their primary long-range navigation aid.
Example Sentence 2
Atmospheric conditions can degrade LORAN signal reception, requiring the pilot to monitor for errors.