Ron Natalie writes:

[ outside view via video ]

The 747SP I flew to Japan did that pretty much. There
screen a the front of the cabin gave a "virtual" forward
view through the takeoff and then switched to a downward
view during the climbout (of course it went off as soon
as the "entertainment" started).


American had something like that back in the Sixties. It
was called Astrovision, and consisted of a video camera
that popped out underneath the nose, kind of like the FLIR
sensor on a P-3 Orion. The view was displayed on black and
white Sony TVs positioned underneath the overhead storage
shelves every three or four seat rows. While the plane
was on the ground, the TVs would play whatever the local
channels had on. They were just dead weight during the
cruise protion of the flight.

I saw this on an AA 720B flying between SFO and Houston via
Phoenix, El Paso, and San Antonio in 1967. Since I made that
run several times and that was the only plane I ever saw
Astrovision on, I assume it was on its way out by that time.
An American Airlines DC-10 I flew on in 1984 had cockpit video
during takeoff and landing, though.



Geoff

--
"While everyone was delighted that P.J. had finally spoken
his first words, 'Give me back my zweiback, cock-gobbler'
was eventually deemed unfit for the baby book."
-- lizmo the Wonder Horse