Subject: What it took to get wings in WW II.
From: vincent p. norris
Date: 7/15/03 8:15 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

The highest math skills were needed by the Navigators.

Art, if I may jump in here again, surely you know that's an
exaggeration.

Celestial navigation requires no math skills beyond the ability to
read a table and do simple arithmetic--the arithmetic every kid learns
by the time he gets to eighth grade. It requires no knowledge of
"higher math." No differential or integral calculus, or simultaneous
equations, or for that matter, even how to do square roots.

I went through navy flight training from 1949 to 1951. At that time,
at least, the navy had no separate training for navigators; all
midshipmen and navcads in multi-engine flight training were taught
celestial navigation and it was assumed they would serve as navigators
until they worked their way up to copilot.

I received so many hours of celestial navigation training that when I
returned to the University of Illinois to complete my undergrad
program, I was awarded 30 semester-hour credits of celestial
navigation! That is the equivalent of a full, two semester college
program. As a result, I was able to receive my bachelor's degree a
full year early.

So I can say, agian, that celestial navigation requires no math
skills bryond the ability to read a table and do simple arithmetic.

All the difficult math was done by those who prepared the tables,

We had to DERIVE the tables just to get through cadet school. Those comfortable
with numbers could do it in the time allowed., Those not comfortable with
numbers who couldn't make the time requirements washed out. How do you feel
about having a navigator on your crew who was not comfortable with numbers? Or
how about one who took so damned long to do an HO-216 you weren't there any
more?.

Arthur Kramer
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer