A West Virginia airport loses its old navigation beacon, forcing new flight rules

The Federal Aviation Administration is changing the flight rules around Beckley, West Virginia. This is because an old radio beacon, used for navigation, has been shut down.

For decades, pilots used ground-based radio beacons to navigate. These beacons are slowly being phased out as planes increasingly rely on GPS. This small change in West Virginia is one of thousands that will eventually rewire how pilots fly, especially in bad weather.