Reply To: Air Navigation

[manxcat]

To: JDavHouston,
Well, if either Earhart or Noonan would’ve had your workman’s attitude when it comes to learning wireless telegraphy and radio skills in general (in their case, throw in radio direction-finding as well) they may have been able to overshot or undershot the lousy airstrip on Howland Island and possibly die in full view of the Naval crew stationed there. Or, they could’ve fell victim to the wind-shear caused by the trade winds that crossed over Howland and crashed on or off the Island (the long-axis of the island was facing in the wrong direction for an airfield). Or, they could’ve survived the landing, and then on the following day, when they attempted to take-off at the same time as the thousands of alarmed sea-birds roosting on the island attempted their take-off too. Or if they made it into the air, despite their heavily overloaded Lockheed Electra from a short runway, they could possibly have flown into a dangerous storm moving in from the East (crashing the plane… or getting them lost all over again for a second time) Had they made it all the way back to the states, I have no doubt that A.E. would’ve retired permanently from her “stunt flying” endurance runs, made action movies in Hollywood instead and lived happily ever after. Fred Noonan would’ve likely have left as big a legacy as Captain JVH Ween’s doses in the history of early aerial celestial navigation
I understand the Kock method as being similar to the standardized technique employed in the training of typists. i.e. repeatedly typing letters to instill the ‘feel’ of the letters to the student. Then introducing words made up with those letters and so on, until the student is ‘touch typing’ with increasing speed and accuracy. I’ve heard it said that a good telegraph operator immediately hears sentences, rather than letters or individual words. Telegraphy has the reputation of being extremely difficult to learn. Computer programs make it easier but it’s still difficult. Charles Lindbergh’s wife, Ann Morrow Lindbergh, obtained her license in telegraphy in order to accompany her world-famous husband on his flights. She complained about how difficult it was to become proficient in it. Ann was also proficient in applied radio communicating; and so, she was the perfect role-model that Earhart should have made the serious effort to emulate.
The VOR/ILS beacons you referred to are updated versions of earlier LORAN beacons?
Astronomical coordinate Systems