NAVIGATION – PAST AND PRESENT

ATC Observer, 1 September 1942, Page 2

NAVIGATION - PAST AND PRESENT

As all Cadets know, navigation is a most important.subject today, I and it is only by expert navigation that our aircraft' can now success-I fully carry-out long distance bombing raids over enemy territory, find their target and return safely 'to their base© "During the 191 h-’8 war- I air navigation was, like, all Air Work, in its Infancy - Fighter Pilots*, ab any rate in 1917 were taught that to reach any given place it was to be remembered that -the'wind affected an Aircraft course and .'speed to a great degrees If you wished to travel true' north and the wind; was I from one west, after making allowance-for magnetic variation, it was necessary to steer a course slightly westerly of north to allow for ! drift. me amount 61 drift would of course be checked from observation of the ground passing beneath* That was practically all that was ' taught; Later, in 1918? what we today call elementary navigation was beginning to be taught, but pilots were not instructed even then in the triangle of velocities, .

Of course, blind flying was not heard: of then and only the most 7 foolhardy would fly out* of sight of the ground© A sound knowledge of map .reading was then, as now, absolutely essential, in fact without it, one would have been continually lost© The compasses supplied were goo of their type, but were not 100% reliable as they are today, and other than the old-fashioned bubble in the curved glass tube, there were no instruments to assist you©

Artificial horizons,, gyro compasses, turn and bank indicators, 1; and all such instruments were unknown* Even night flying did not involve extensive study of Air Navigation as there existed in France a series a light houses. Needless to say directional wireless had never been - heard of. Today with the advance in air navigation by dead reckoning, astral navigation and directional wireless it is possible to carry out I these long range night raids you read .so much about© But in spite of j all this assistance, Pilots and Navigators have to study continuously ■ over long periods, so that, when-on operational work, they will be able to carry out their work in spite of weather conditions.

To those of you who are going to the senior branch of the Service, the it.N.Z.A.F. as Pilots, Observers or Navigators, remember that a ' sound grounding in Navigation will make your later studies easy and will assist you, when bn operations so that you will not. only be able to find your objective, but return safely to base* The Navigation training . 1 you are receiving in the 'Ao To Co is the basis of that essential knowledg so make sure that you understand everything you are taught in regard to navigation. It will stand you in good stead some day.