Navigation in WW2

[Kluseau]

I'm aware that some radio aids were beginning to put in an appearance during the war, especially for bombers, but how would a typical single seat fighter pilot have found their way around the UK, a country not always known for its benevolent weather? Would there have been anything beyond map, compass, dead reckoning and prayer?

[tilos]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQWZEVaoFKQ

[DaveReidUK]

So now you know, the pilot turned round and asked the navigator. :O

[PAXboy]

My father never mentioned the orchestra in the back of their Beau ... Not to mention that, in the Beau, the navigator sat back to back with the pilot and so had to convey to his pilot by intercom what to look for as he couldn't see where they were going!! :p

[megan]

how would a typical single seat fighter pilot have found their way around the UKIFR presumably. I Follow Roads, I Follow Railways. Saw a video recently of a female ATA pilot commenting when ferrying Spitfires they had no radios.

[Judd]

Would there have been anything beyond map, compass, dead reckoning and prayer?


Yes. Radio. Radar talk down and VHF/DF where ATC picked you up from the pilots transmission signal. Then give the pilot a course to steer to arrive over an aerodrome.


If speech from the pilot unavailable he could resort to pressing microphone switch a set number of times to (say) four clicks means "Request homing" One click for "No" Two clicks for "Yes. Three clicks for "Say again."


You can run quite a good conversation providing the air traffic controller knows what he is doing. It was called a "Speechless VHF/DF" let down. Small formations of aircraft could be let down until visual that way with everyone formatting on the leader who would be operating his radio.


If all else failed and the aircraft radio was completely out of action then sometimes the only safe option was to bale out and use your parachute


QGH | Article about QGH by The Free Dictionary (http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/QGH)


If only one VHF set in the aircraft and that failed the pilot could fly a triangular pattern one minute each side clockwise or anti clockwise to indicate to a radar controller that your receiver or transmitter had failed and the ATC would guide you in from there.

[Kluseau]

Thank you Judd, that's extremely helpful.

[captainsmiffy]

....and morse for 'x' (-..-) to indicate that you have a further emergency. Became like a game of 20 questions! Speechless descent code.

[Wander00]

Oh, weren't they fun in the JP, especially if your QFI had a sense of humour

[sycamore]

Judd,one for `Yes ,two for `No`.....

[chevvron]

If only one VHF set in the aircraft and that failed the pilot could fly a triangular pattern one minute each side clockwise or anti clockwise to indicate to a radar controller that your receiver or transmitter had failed and the ATC would guide you in from there.
No Left hand triangles mean 'nothing left' ie Tx and Rx fail whilst right hand means you can receive only.

[Wander00]

.... = "I have another emergency" - ATC run through there list, and you or QFI hope you have come up with something not on the list. One QFI came up with "snake in the cockpit" but I told him I would have ejected by then!"

[chevvron]

No _.._ = I have a further emergency.
The controller then ask is it:
Hydraulics
Electrics
Fuel
Oxygen
Engine
(known as the 'HEFOE' code for obvious reasons).
A Guy in a Hunter did this at Farnborough and answered no to all questions by which time we'd got him on final.
After he'd parked and shut down, he phoned us to say the emergency was he was bursting for a sh1t and needed to get down asap!!

[Wander00]

Chevron - how right you are = -..- Was a while ago! Thanks

[megan]

With loss of comms, or maintaining radio silence for operational reasons, the number of fingers held up to your wingman signalled what element of the HEFOE code you were having trouble with.