On the Beam

[Terry_Lasater]

Our daily challenge.

I need to be reminded of this far more than I'd care to admit.

 

[David Jimerson]

The "beam"?

 

[Terry_Lasater]

I don't think it has anything to do with Jim Beam. lol

Not sure of its origin but a search found this:

Early aviators had a system of radio signals to guide pilots through fog and bad weather.

Dots and dashes were beamed out from a landing field and picked up in the pilot’s earphones.

If he heard dot-dashes, he was too far left, and dash-dots meant he was too far right.

But when the signals converged into a continuous buzzing sound, the pilot was “on the beam,” or safely on course.

An instrument landing system, or ILS, is a ground-based instrument system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft landing on a runway, and uses a combination of radio signals and lighting in low visibility.

http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.co...m-come-from-and-what-does-it-mean-in-aviation

on the beam,
a.
on the course indicated by a radio beam, as an airplane.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/on+the+beam

Regardless, a glance at the words in the graphic let you know it's a good place to be.

 

[groveChuck]

And I thought you'd taken up a new activity, Terry... :happy:

 

[Terry_Lasater]

Originally, I conjured up the image of a balance beam. I think it works just as well since it can be difficult to maintain balance and stay on.

 

[Jawa Ex Machina]

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but it says "Humility" twice on that there beam.