Flying The Beam

This old game, designed by Captain William J. Chapman, an army pilot, is based on actual blind flying conditions. When "flying the beam", the pilot hears a steady radio buzz when he is on his true course. If he flies to one side of the beam, he hears the Morse code letter "A" (.-); if to the other, the letter "N" (-.). As he nears the "On Course" signal, the letters "A" and "N" will superimpose on the "On Course" buzz in what's called the "Twilight" zones. Finally, as the pilot approaches the radio sending station adjacent to the airport, the signal fades out into what's called the "Cone of Silence".

The object of the game is to land safely at the airport. Each player places his marker on the "Leg" of the beam nearest them. The start space tells you which lane (A, N, or center) your plane begins its approach on. On your turn, you spin the spinner and move your plane the number of spaces indicated towards the "Cone of Silence" in the center of the board. You must follow the directions for any space you land on (usually these cause you to shift lanes). When the "Cone of Silence" is reached, you spin for a runway number to land on. The first player to land by exact count on their assigned runway space wins.