Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-29
BLIND FLYING AID
/. TOBE SHOWN HERE
"FIight integratm" Invented
by Army Officers, Who
Seek Patents.

Final demonstrations of flight in
tegrator," which 1t is claimed. robs
'blind flying of its terrors, probably
will be made here tomorrow morning
prior to the arrival from New York of
the Southern Cross and its heroic crew.
The integrator, designed by two
Army officers, is intended to replace
many of the standard flight instru-
ments for blind flying purposes, giving
the pilot only a single unit. without
dials or numerals, to watch. 1t is
mounted in a Douglas OK observa-
ton plane which was flown here from
Kelly Field, Tex, by the two officers.
The instrument is the invention of
Capt. William G. Ocker, one Of the
country's pioneer advocates of instru-
ment flying to overcome the hazards OF
fog, and Lieut.. Carl j. Crane.
Details Are withheld.
Details of the "integrator" are not
being made public by the two officers
until their application for patents on
the device, now pending, have been
acted upon. Essentially, however, the
device consists of a small airplane
mounted over a representation of
before him what appears to be a pic
ture of the nose of his own plane and
typical landscape. The small airplane
responds to the controls just as does
his own plane, gyroScopic stabilizerS be-
ing used to maintain correct relation
ship with the earth. The small plane
shows the pilot at glance whether he
is climbing or diving. whether the
wings are level, or whether he is turn
ing.
The single instrument, therefore
without the use of a single dial, pointer
or indicator which must be read, I'M
derstood and interpreted by the pilot
takes the place of the standard bank
and turn indicator, rate Of climb indi-
Gator and, to q minor extent, the COM
pass.
Capt. Ocker few the plane all the
way to the National Capital from Kelly
Field during the past week from a COW
cred cockpit which gave him no view
of the outside world. Lieut.. Crane, at
dual controls in the rear cockpit, was
available for emergencies.
Capt. Ocker's worst difficulty was in
maintaining the proper course, since
there was no way of seeing the earth
and measuring the effects of wind drift
and the changes in wind direction and
velocity. The use of the radio beacon
WOULD completely overcome THIS dill
Guilty, however, he pointed out, and
would overcome the last serious diff
Guilty in connection with blind flying,
though the problems of landing in
fog still remain untouched by the new
instrument.
Got Wind Drift Advice.
During the longer legs of the trip
Lieut.. Crane advised Capt. Ocker of
wind drift, all other details of the trip
being handled by Capt. Ocker from his
shut-in cockpit. From Scott Field. Ill,
to Dayton, Ohio, however. Lieut.. Crane
sent no word at all and Capt. Ocker
flew the distance without any aid other
than the instruments before him.
81 checked the exact course he fol-
lowed on a map" Lieut.. Crane said,
land while he veered from side to side
Of the course at times, he was within
IS miles of his goal at the end of the
trip and well within sight of the field"
The integrator has been inspected at
Boiling Field by ranking officers of the
Air Corps. The plane will be flown to
Mitchell Field, N. Y, tomorrow or Tues
day and Capt Ocker and Lieut.. Crane
then will return to Kelly Field, their
home station.