IFR in the 1930's

Dick wrote:

Staring at my empty instrument panel while considering which instruments and
their placement, I got wondering how old time Mail pilots flew if caught in
IFR conditions.

By the 30's, the mail was going by airlines. I assume you mean the old open
cockpit planes of the 20's (like the Pitcairn Mailwing or the earlier Jennie).
A skilled pilot can keep one straight and level by the feel of the relative
wind on his cheeks and the sound of the wind in the wires, combined with the
ball and altimeter. This still isn't as good as a gyro stack, and the accident
rate was high. Lots of the pilots simply put the mail on the train if things
got too bad.

Lindberg discusses some of this in one of his books, and Gann has at least two
novels about the period. I've also read an old book by a veteran mail pilot,
but I have no idea any more what the title was (I checked it out from either
the Knoxville public library or the Bearden High School library in the 60's).

George Patterson
Brute force has an elegance all its own.

"G.R. Patterson III" writes:

A skilled pilot can keep one straight and level by the feel of the
relative wind on his cheeks and the sound of the wind in the wires,
combined with the ball and altimeter.

I'm not too sure about the first two -- if relative wind told you
anything at all about whether the wings were level, we be able to use
something simpler than gyroscopic instruments for IFR today. It you
take the last two, ball and altimeter, and add the magnetic compass,
then it would be at least theoretically possible to fly straight
(-ish) and level (-ish) in IMC, though they probably just flew very
close to the ground, as Durden's article suggested.


All the best,


David

"G.R. Patterson III" writes:

A skilled pilot can keep one straight and level by the feel of the
relative wind on his cheeks and the sound of the wind in the wires,

Hmm, in a old airplane like that I'd say the relative wind is pretty much
always gonna be about 80-90 mph off the nose! :^)

Lots of the pilots simply put the mail on the train if things
got too bad.


--------------------------------------------------
IFR = I Follow Railroads

Old joke but true.

I learned to love railroads the first time I ferried an airplane cross-country.
Compass proved to be about ninety degrees off flying east to west (and I to
get from Ohio to Sandy Eggo). Altimeter stuck at 2500 feet... and stayed there
until the second bounce of the next landing. Had a spiffy new leather Pilot's
Case for all those charts, couple of notebooks filled with Good Information...
that turned out to be faiery tales ("They went out of business last summer"
or, "We've always closed at five. Least ways, in the winter.")

Ended up using an Esso road map because it showed all the railroads (at least,
for the western United States).

I'd be happy as a clam with needle, ball and alcohol, so long as that fan up
front keeps turning and the little wheel in back don't fall off.

-R.S.Hoover

On 30 Aug 2003 22:58:17 GMT, (Veeduber) wrote:

Ended up using an Esso road map because it showed all the railroads (at least,
for the western United States).

A couple of years back, I found an Esso road map at a local antique
store...$5. When I park the Fly Baby at a fly-in, I stuff all the modern
charts into the turtledeck and leave only the Esso one sitting in the map
pocket. Have to check it for railroads.

Ron Wanttaja

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 18:28:43 -0400, "G.R. Patterson III"
wrote:



Dick wrote:

Staring at my empty instrument panel while considering which instruments and
their placement, I got wondering how old time Mail pilots flew if caught in
IFR conditions.

By the 30's, the mail was going by airlines. I assume you mean the old open
cockpit planes of the 20's (like the Pitcairn Mailwing or the earlier Jennie).
A skilled pilot can keep one straight and level by the feel of the relative
wind on his cheeks and the sound of the wind in the wires, combined with the
ball and altimeter. This still isn't as good as a gyro stack, and the accident
rate was high. Lots of the pilots simply put the mail on the train if things
got too bad.

Lindberg discusses some of this in one of his books, and Gann has at least two
novels about the period. I've also read an old book by a veteran mail pilot,
but I have no idea any more what the title was (I checked it out from either
the Knoxville public library or the Bearden High School library in the 60's).

George Patterson
Brute force has an elegance all its own.


You guys must not remember the "Cat and Duck" method of flying
instruments. Hell, when I was a kid in the 1950's that's all we used.
Any of you young punks know what the hell I'm talking about?

BWB

Lindberg discusses some of this in one of his books, and Gann has at least two
novels about the period. I've also read an old book by a veteran mail pilot,
but I have no idea any more what the title was (I checked it out from either
the Knoxville public library or the Bearden High School library in the 60's).

George Patterson
Brute force has an elegance all its own.


You guys must not remember the "Cat and Duck" method of flying
instruments. Hell, when I was a kid in the 1950's that's all we used.
Any of you young punks know what the hell I'm talking about?

BWB
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hey -
I'm still a young punk....
at heart.


http://www.skyhawk.org/2D/tinduck.htm
http://www.flippyscatpage.com/instrument.html
http://jokes-quotes.com/contentid-239.html
http://www.eaa445.org/instrument.htm
http://www.ahajokes.com/ani031.html
http://monster-island.org/tinashumor/humor/catduck.html


Barnyard BOb -- 50 years of flight