Walter Blanchard, G3JKV, 7th March 2020
Walter Blanchard, G3JKV (SK)
Walter Blanchard, G3JKV, became a silent key on 7 March 2020. Walter was a true Old Timer, whose professional and hobby involvement with radio extended over many decades – indeed, a whole working life, and then on into retirement.
Walter was an RAF navigator from 1948 to 1957, mainly on transport aircraft in the UK, but also in the Far East, where he was the sole survivor from a Vickers Valletta that crashed into the jungle. Later, he also ejected from an English Electric Canberra aircraft over the North Sea.
Having gained much operational experience in the use of radio navigation aids, Walter joined the Decca Navigator Company where he spent the next 15 years being closely involved with the development of Decca Navigator, Loran-C and other LF systems that were characterised by powerful transmitters and very substantial antenna arrays.
In the early 1970s, Walter worked with Redifon, who were then developing a satellite navigation system for the US. The result was ‘Transit’, a forerunner of today’s GPS, which Walter then introduced to the European marine market. By 1976 he was was back at Decca Survey (later Racal Decca), specialising in survey applications of Transit. In 1986 he became an independent consultant and contributed to the first use of high?accuracy differential GPS by the ‘Skyfix’ system, which used Inmarsat satellites.
Walter was long-time Fellow and former President of the Royal Instiute of Navigation, which bestowed several prestigious awards on him; as did the US Institute of Navigation, and GAPAN (now the Honourable Company of Air Pilots). He was also a Freeman of the City of London, and Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society.
Away from a very busy professional life, Walter deployed his deep technical knowledge of radio systems in the amateur domain, licensed as G3JKV.
We pass our condolences to Walter’s wife, Anne, and to their family. A private funeral was held on 1 April, and a celebration of Walter’s life is planned for early October. Details of the latter will be announced on www.rin.org.uk/news.
Tribute and photo courtesy Rod Angel, G4ZUP
Stewart Bryant, G3YSX, was sad to hear that Walter, G3JKV, passed away on 8 March 2020 and says that “Walter did a lot to support amateur radio experimentation in the early days of our low frequency licence allocation”.
The Royal Institute of Navigation has a full obituary of their former President.
Category: Silent Keys
