[Milsurplus] AN/APN-1 Mission

[D C *Mac* Macdonald]

It's called "Pressure Pattern Navigation" and was still
being taught when I attended USAF Navigator Course
at Harlngen AFB, TX in 1961-1962 (Class 62-16).
Three practice flights and a check ride, if I remember
correctly.  It doesn't work very well outside of 30-60
degrees of latitude, so it was somewhat "iffy" down
in the Gulf of Mexico centered around 26N latitude.
Our check ride was across the Gulf to McCoy AFB, FL
which is now Orlando International Airport.  The field
retains the MCO designation from its days as McCoy AFB.


Mac - K2GKK/5
Oklahoma City



----Original Message Follows----
From: John Kidd <johnkidd at optusnet.com.au>
To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] AN/APN-1 Mission
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2006 14:06:22 +1000

Hi all,

I was reading an article about navigation over the years. One described the 
use of radio navigation to determine drift.

"Long over water flights relied on dead reckoning Dead reckoning required 
knowledge of drift. Sometimes drift could not be observed due to clouds 
below, or over water. Navigators used the known relationship between 
isobars, lines of equal barometric pressure, and wind. The wind direction is 
nearly parallel to isobars, and wind speed is greater where the isobars are 
closer together, that is, in areas where air pressure is changing rapidly. 
Navigators could measure changes in barometric pressure by comparing their 
pressure altimeters with a radar altimeter that gave true height above sea 
level. Therefore from the rate of change of pressure, they could obtain an 
accurate wind component."

Cheers,

John Kidd


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