NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Brian Walton
Date: 2023 Jul 14, 07:09 -0700
Bill,
Agreed. Manual dexterity is required.
Even more so, because the intermediate results of each manipulation need to be written down ( on the spaces provided) before continuing the procedure, this requiring a new grip, and a calculation.
Even more so, when flying an open biplane solo, using the little finger of the right hand crooked around the top of the stick, and the other digits to hold the Bygrave, without keying the radio button, or dropping the pencil.
Even more so, when it is necessary to glance outside frequently to steady the plane, and check attitude, which unless results are written down, will make you forget them, especially if flying conditions aren't perfect. I would repeat the process before trusting any result.
Even more demanding than working a Bygrave is using a box sextant in an open biplane, as did Chichester, without losing control at the very low levels required to get a suitable horizon, and without beaking airmanship and air navigation laws.
Brian Walton
