For the flying enthusiasts here:
There's an short, but interesting article about Jimmy Doolittle's very first Instrument Flight in 1929 at https://www.amusingplanet.com/2023/04/jimmy-doolittle-and-first-blind-flight.html
I don't believe It was called IFR then.
From the article:
They also have pictures at the link above.
I never knew that it was Jimmy Doolittle who pioneered Flying on Instruments or that it was done that long ago.
There's an short, but interesting article about Jimmy Doolittle's very first Instrument Flight in 1929 at https://www.amusingplanet.com/2023/04/jimmy-doolittle-and-first-blind-flight.html
I don't believe It was called IFR then.
From the article:
Quote:
On September 24, 1929, Doolittle and his check pilot, Ben Kelsey, climbed into a heavily modified NY-2 Husky. Aside from a directional gyro, an artificial horizon, and an altimeter fitted into the cockpit, Doolittle received additional directional guidance from a radio range course aligned with the airport runway, while radio marker beacons indicated his distance from the runway.
To prevent Doolittle from 'cheating', a hood was placed over the cockpit, completely shutting him off from any view of the world outside, and forcing him to rely only on his instruments and radio. The check pilot was there only to intervene in an emergency. However, Kelsey had to keep his hands held high in the slipstream so all could see he was not doing the flying.
Doolittle took off effortlessly, circled the airfield, crossed, re-crossed the field, then landed only a short distance away from his starting point. The flight took only 10 minutes, but those minutes proved that a plane could be flown with only instruments.
After the flight, Doolittle said with an embarrassed grin, "Despite all my previous practice, the approach and landing were sloppy. So far as I know."
They also have pictures at the link above.
I never knew that it was Jimmy Doolittle who pioneered Flying on Instruments or that it was done that long ago.
