Aviation

Aviation and Morse code share more history than most pilots realize. Every NDB (non-directional beacon) on a sectional chart still identifies itself by transmitting a 2 or 3 letter Morse identifier in continuous-wave audio. ILS localizer beacons identify the same way. Words like pilot, runway, beacon, and tower in Morse echo a century of cockpit communication standards. Knowing the Morse code for these aviation terms is part of the FAA private-pilot knowledge test, and CW callsign identification is still a daily reality for any pilot tuning into an NDB or VOR.