View Full Version : Navigators
Spooky 2
23rd Nov 2007, 02:41
Can anyone tell me when BOAC got rid of their Navigators on the VC10 or B707? Did they move into doppler/loran in lieu of the navs?
Foul-Sudan
23rd Nov 2007, 14:15
Navigators, as such, were not terminated since most if not all First Officers and Second Pilots (P3's) held a full Navigation Licence during the VC10 and
B707 era and fulfilled the necessary Nav sectors. Navigation requirements changed with the gradual introduction of INS previously athenticated by B747.
Loran, Consol and Astro navigation were demanded for most Nav sectors
particularly on North Atlantic routes. Doppler was always used as an aid but natuarally needed updating via good alternative fixes.
I think that most of the pure navigation finished late 75/early 76 - certainly my last 'nav sector' was in Nov 75 BDA-LHR but I think all we were doing by then was monitoring the INS's
Spooky 2
23rd Nov 2007, 23:05
Thanks! Soundsd as if your experince mirrored the Pan Am saga.
Albert Driver
24th Nov 2007, 17:09
My last "nav sector" began with two INS and a Doppler......
........and ended with a sun/moon astro airplot.
Who decided to locate those early INS platforms under the galley sink?!
wrecker
29th Nov 2007, 14:21
That brought back memories of navigating N/S and S/N at about 20W using only Consul (stations at Stavanger. Bushmills, Ploniez, Lugo and one other which has faded from memory. The number of hours spent counting dots/dashes and working out how many were lost in the eqi-signal was enormous. Almost as compelling as listening to A and N on the aural ranges.
Can anyone remember when the Dusfold AR was switched off?
reynoldsno1
2nd Dec 2007, 19:03
one other which has faded from memory
L'Orient???