Evening star., 1935-11-10

The indoor flying, which is an a
thing. is made possible through the.
use of a training mechanism which
embodies all the control and naviga-
ton features Of transport airplane
and a section of radio-equipped air
way.
The outfit, known as the link
trainer, is used not only for the train
ing of pilots in instrument and radio
beam flying and landing approaches,
but also for checking the proficiency
of pilots who already have received
actual training. The device has been
adopted by the Army and Navy air
services for the training of military
flyers.
The Bureau of Air Commerce is
planning to keep the trainer in opera
ton in the Department of Commerce
Building at least until all airline in
spectors and other flying personnel
have been put through the training
program. Bureau officials also are
considering the installation of the
trainers at key points on the Nations
airways system for use in checking
the ability of pilots of the country's
airlines.
The trainer consists of a section
Of airplane fuselage containing a
cockpit equipped with all standard
controls and instruments, including
radio compass, radio marker indicator
and sensitive altimeter. Through a
system of motor driven bellows, the
controls cause movements OF the
whole fuselage section similar to those
of real airplane in response to
similar operation of the controls. The
training plane banks, turns, climbs
and dives; the air speed indicator
reacts to opening Of the throttle. and
there is even an automatic spinning
device which causes the trainer to go
into spin when the student gets into
stall
The trainer contains radio voice and
beacon receiving equipment and eX-
terror radio equipment is provided to
give a range Of five station and two
marker beacon broadcasts, which may
be operated by the instructor.
The instructor thus can require. the
pilot to navigate to any one OF five
stations and to make approaches by
signal from the two-marker stations
precisely as he would in a real air.
plane. A cockpit hood is provided so
that the pilot must operate by in
strument entirely, precisely as IN the
case of real airplane operation.
An automatic recording device Is
installed which keeps a permanent
record on a paper chart of every
movement of the airplane in the
hands of the student or pilot under
test.
The trainer has been installed in
Room 74l2 at the Department OF
Commerce.
Importance of training in such
device is emphasized by Bureau of Air
Commerce orders prohibiting inten-
tional instrument flights in broken
clouds or overcast within 25 miles of
an airway, or within IS miles of an
airline airport by any but airline air
craft. The ruling, intended to de-
lIedSc lllC Va AOAtAoANAA bNs'NNA@
aircraft while flying blind, is tenn
porary, pending PRONUNCIATION of new
permanent airWay and airport trafhc-
control regulations.
Instrument flying under simulated
blind flying conditions (under hood)
may be conducted for training pur-
poses, providing a safety pilot who
has unobstructed vision and access to
the controls of the aircraft is present
and provided the airplane does not
enter broken cloud formation or over
cast within the 25-mile limits.
Army. Navy, Marine Corps and
Coast Guard units which utilize
radio range and airport facilities for
instrument training purposes are CO.
operating, the Bureau of Air Com
merce announced, and are issuing
similar regulations for the guidance
of their pilots.
The direct air route between Boiling
Field and Burgess Field, Pa, flown
regularly by Army aircraft, famous
for its frequent and prolonged spells
of unfavorable flying weather, is being
provided with three weather stations
by the Army Signal Corps. In addi-
ton to establishing its own stations
at three points, the Signal Corps has
arranged for more frequent and re-
liable weather reports from other
points adjacent to the route.
The new stations are as follows, the
Office of the Chief of Air Corps has
announced:
"MWR, Admiral Byrd Airport, Win
chester, Va; elevation 700 feet, go
miles from Boiling Field; fair land
ing field, with daytime hangar and