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Made me wonder what kind of other things the yougin's never dealt with in their career.
Any others the old heads around can think of?
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How about the old radio range. Four "quadrants". "A" and "N" signals, in Morse code. "_ ." and ". _" I think. You would listen to one fade and the other come in. This told you that you were either headed toward or away from one side or the other. Seem to remember you turned 90 degrees, flew for a certain time (maybe a minute) and turned another 90 degrees, or maybe 180 and kept listening.
Throughout this process you were trying to get on one of the "beams" which would then take you "to" the station. Upon reaching the station you would fly "out" a beam until you could pick up another station on your route.
They used to appear on the sectional charts. Went the way of the dodo in the 60s.
Then there is the PAR. Which still existed in Canada as late as the 90s. Shot one to 1/4 mile visibility at Shearwater CFB, Nova Scotia. They called them a "talk down". Rather that giving you specifics of how high or low on glide path you were, they just told you to "increase or decrease descent". Heading corrections were in single degree increments.
Wasn't too bad in the KC10 with the A/P on, A/T on, and using heading select and the vvi wheel.
Got pretty good at raw data (needle and RMI only) ADF approaches using the CRAKK OM at SHV Regional airport. Again with the airplane coupled up it was relatively easy. The fun was when you turned off all the automation and the flight directors. Nearly good ‘ol needle, ball, and airspeed.
There’s another one…do they still have turn needles on airplanes now? Didn’t have one in the MD90 as I remember. Did have a ball, which was worthless!
How many know of the “control and performance concept” of instrument flying?
Mike, do they still have AFM 51-37?
So do I qualify as an “old head” or “old phart”?