Which navigation facility is being received in the initial contact phrase with McAlester Flight Service?

• A. ARDMORE VORTAC
• B. ARDMORE VOR/DME
• C. ARDMORE TACAN
• D. ARDMORE NDB

Answer: (A)

When you first establish contact with a Flight Service Station, the radio message you hear often names the nearby navigation facility you’re receiving. In that Oklahoma area, the Ardmore VORTAC is the facility being identified. A VORTAC provides the VOR azimuth information plus TACAN, which in civilian practice also gives DME distance, making it the primary navigation aid referenced in this initial phrase. The other options describe different types of aids (TACAN alone is military, NDBs are older low-frequency beacons, and a VOR/DME is a VOR with DME but the commonly cited facility in this context is Ardmore VORTAC). So the initial contact phrase points to the Ardmore VORTAC.