Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-15
brown USING MARINERS
METHODS IN SEA FLIGHT
,Expects to Be Able to Mako Landfan
Near Objective on Other Side
of Ocean.
.HE TELLS OF DIFFICULTIES
On Statement Given Out Before Leav-
. ing Aviator Tells OF Obstacles to
Keeping Tab on Ones sPosition
Over Large Body Of Water.
10y Associated Pre.s1

y
Splying methods of marine navigatior
ito an air fight. Lieutenant Arthur
EWhitten Brown. now flying across the
sAtlantio In the Nimy Bomber machine
poets to make landtall" within
+twenty or thirty miles OF his objective
in Ireland or England.
Lieutenant Brown was an American
Eslectr!cal engineer before he join ed
s{he British Flying Service in 1914. He
ms described in a statement which
ne aes,r has prepared an interestins
ed IN transatlantic flight and the
.piethods by which he hopes to over
come them.
bodies OF water such as the Atlantic
ocean. where the pilot may be for
hours out of s@sht OF, any landmarks
by which he could Judge his position.
1t Is to the methods OF navigation
which have been developed by the
mariners that the pilot turns TO learn
his destination is" writes Lieutenant
Brown.
Some Difficulties Arise.
UNFORTUNATELY ditncu!ties arise from
the start in applying these methods
,he arpane At he erey of the
wind. and appears 20 move IN the direc
t.on IN which the wind blows with
the second place the speed OF the air
OF the commercial vessel.
The h!sh speed OF ;he a!rplane
observations :or position, and this in
turn makes It undesirable 10 use the
slow. albeit accurate, means OF calula-
ton ordinarily employed In conse-
auence. special charts have been de-
yised for use with the sun or stars.
which enable the pilot to Ak his posi-
rot With the accuracy demanded in
marine work With the aid of these
charts, together with a seXtant for
observing the sun or stars. chrome;
be able 20 make landau within
twenty to thirty miles OF the desired
point int. son..- ,r 49,,
20 do unless he Keeps careful watch
on the direction and strength OF the
wind, which may alter between his
ledge. In order 20 check this. an in
struneat known as the Daft 1rdica-
tor has heen devised. ny means OF
which the pilot can ascertain the dlrec-
which he Is travelling over the ocean.
so long as he can see the ocean and
the flares or .sn1oke-homhs which he
DROPS Into II FOR the purpose o. MAX
ing his observations OF drift.
Must Depend on Compass.
Should the pilot re flying IN clouds
go that ne can see neither the ocean
nor ;he sky, re can only Depend upon
only. Under these circumstances ne
may 6rit, many miles OUT OF his course
without heing aw..e % II. unless ne
employs la;e development Of wireless
telesraphy y, means Of which ne can
measure his bearings from two OF
more land stations and Ak his position
ct the po:a; Q. intersection. For short
distances this method has proved lis
reliability, ha: Il has yet 10 te proved
that !; IS suitable :o- such a journey
as the transatlantic H:rat until further
improvements have. been made in ;he
let US take : deh- from 81. Johns.
stetr!nE the sir7iane along the short
est route tor Galway Bay. and start
Drift; Indicator IS set 20 the required
course ard Al approximate compass
course Is. worked ou; VII ch will allow
for the dr!tt caused by' tha prevailing
wind. after rising into the air and
gaining sufficient height the airolane
course i then corrected until the d.
sired course set on the indicator is
made rood. The time OF passing over
the coaE; Il noted and The speed over
Ieion and speed Of the wind a. the
height OF the airplana are calculated
and the drift indicator carefully
and 70 make the necessary corrections
Special Chart Used.
During The" FIRST, "hour tho height
OF the sun thovt the horizon Is meas
GTse y ;,rs mfa2: ~ The seNtsn he
soted The special I'S eha1t Is ' shan
thought into use and II there has been
no error In The allowance for wind.
II shows exactly what point has been
reached on the desired track TO cal
way Bay. This is then checked IN
with the position which should have
been rcacehd according 20 the meas
ured ground-speed, and In the short
distance travc-sed during The FIRST hour.
there should be no appreciate dis
crenancy.
busy hlnsei: with se,'l,ns down fS .?
he journey after the hurried pra-
parations a. the start ana 10 pay a
little attention 10 the many calls COM
ne Is almost out ~ range with his
sending apparatus but signals con-
t;nue to COM" in bearing messages %
cheer. and perhaps some numerous sug-
gestions TO conduct en- route. 10
which. nnhappilv, the appropriate re-
piles cannot he sent
for An annfSe 4o'o obss5ysa and rn tim.
taken IN the same way as the nrst
and as the hours Slowly pass 20 the
distance incrsases and the data OBJ
and gives ono an increased faith In
the. Instruments devised ny man.
gin N IL r.. comes mes or ana the Stars he,
stars and observation on two or three
Ct them give him moro accurate posi-
ton than ne can obtain from the sin 2 le
observation afforded by the sun. /, Is
too dark 70 see The surface % the
ocean. and the dsitt Indicator ranno;
be used unless flares arc thrown out
but frequent observations obyiate the
Use OF these.
Accurate Course in Held
An accurate course Is held until
dawn, and the bearing OF the sun Is
taken as accurately as possible 40 /,
1 rises above the horizon. giving the frst
NIX the day. Favorable winds hav,
increased the speed and land should b,
sighted within three hours. VIII IL b,
the point for which the navigator /.
aiming Now comes the test OF nj!
4 accuracy and that OF the instrument!
employed. 80
Both pilot and navigator are on N,
alert although tired after so man,
hours OF strain and anxiety. Two hour
away We should soon be In wireless
; communicat with the land stations
m yTaE 49,.