NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Imperial Airways Sextants
From: Paul Hirose
Date: 2024 Nov 1, 15:33 -0700
From: Paul Hirose
Date: 2024 Nov 1, 15:33 -0700
> *From: *David C > *Date: *2024 Oct 30, 18:04 -0700 > > "From the pilot's point of view the Christmas of 1926 was rather dismal, > for the Company was making them comply with the new Air Ministry dictum > that aircraft carrying ten or more passengers for 100 miles or more must > carry a Second-class Navigator. All piiots had, therefore, to take the > examinations." Back in the days when Strategic Air Command flew the B-47, there was a requirement that at least one of the pilots have a radar navigator rating. This took 6 months of navigator training, then another 6 months in radar navigation and bombing. Apparently, SAC leadership felt a need to back up the one navigator on the B-47. Later, the B-52 had two navigators. Incidentally, I recently read of a B-47 inflight emergency where the copilot (seated in tandem behind the pilot) was not in position to immediately help because his seat was turned to face aft so he could take a sextant shot. (There was another sextant port in the navigator's nose compartment.) Operating the tail guns also required the copilot to face aft. The B-47 is the only plane I know that had a swivel ejection seat. The flight manual says it's possible to eject in either orientation, but facing forward is much preferred. -- Paul Hirose sofajpl.com
