A Question for the Pilots of the Lounge

[Absinthe_1900]

Pretty much a lost art among more modern pilots, it wasn't an issue when I got my private ticket in high school.

But then Lindbergh didn't use in 1927 either.

 

[MissS]

I started flying in 1974, and received no training in celestial navigation, although I always thought it would be cool to learn. That said, did you here about the fellow who, wanting to learn to "shoot the stars" went to REI. He asked the sales clerk if they sold sextants. She replied, "Mister, we sell all kinds of tents. What you do in them is your business."

(For those of you in Sydney, REI is a big outdoor equipment retailer in the US.)

*Groan...!*

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I completed my military flight training in '86 and was VFR and IFR rated, and we received no astral navigation training...at least that I remember.

 

[Pilotguy299]

not me either

Got my private in 1993 and instrument in 1995. it was never discussed.

 

[John Boyer]

I, too, continue to find this question perplexing; and internet searches have been no help. I am VFR and IFR rated and have not heard of this technique. Furthermore, I have consulted with several instructors and a few experienced commercial and military test pilots, with no further explanation. My hunch is this is another term for or part of "dead-reckoning" techniques. John

 

[Pilotguy299]

probably too hard to do when flying solo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_navigation

While celestial navigation is becoming increasingly redundant with the advent of inexpensive and highly accurate satellite navigation receivers (GPS), it was used extensively in aviation until 1960s, and marine navigation until quite recently. But since a prudent mariner never relies on any sole means of fixing his/her position, many national maritime authorities still require deck officers to show knowledge of celestial navigation in examinations, primarily as a back up for electronic navigation. One of the most common current usages of celestial navigation aboard large merchant vessels is for compass calibration and error checking at sea when no terrestrial references are available.

The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy continued instructing military aviators on its use until 1997, because:

* it can be used independently of ground aids
* has global coverage
* cannot be jammed (except by clouds)
* does not give off any signals that could be detected by an enemy[1]

The US Naval Academy announced that it was discontinuing its course on celestial navigation, considered to be one of its most demanding courses, from the formal curriculum in the spring of 1998 stating that a sextant is accurate to a three-mile (5 km) radius, while a satellite-linked computer can pinpoint a ship within 60 feet (18 m). Presently, midshipmen continue to learn to use the sextant, but instead of performing a tedious 22-step mathematical calculation to plot a ship's course, midshipmen feed the raw data into a computer.[2]

Likewise, celestial navigation was used in commercial aviation up until the early part of the jet age; it was only phased out in the 1960s with the advent of inertial navigation systems.

Celestial navigation continues to be taught to cadets during their training in the British Merchant Navy and remains as a requirement for their certificate of competency.

 

[MPicciotto]

It was also used in North Africa by the P.P.A., the SAS and the LRDG. Something to do with huge areas with no landmarks. Sort of like being at sea.

Matt

 

[Story]

MissS, I remember replying to this thread. It's what I know of celestial navigation.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=28365&highlight=navigation

Tangential to MissS' question, when I took the USCGAux coastal navigation course (about 10 years ago), they recommended finding a tutor for the sextant - as they had no one qualified to teach the class.

About two weeks ago, I got to tour an observatory under construction. The professor was lamenting that his school wasn't thrilled with the idea of a celestial navigation course: "we have GPS', what does anyone need to study that?" :eusa_doh:

Ever have a Garmin battery die on ya, Dean?

 

[Treetopflyer]

Not anymore..

I went through military flight school five years ago and it was not taught then. In a former life before flight school I was a Surface Warfare Officer and celestial Nav was alive and well but on its way out to being a dying art form. I have heard that up until about four or five years ago USMC C-130 aircraft still practiced it. I also know that several "older" USN aircraft had special ports built into the top of the aircraft to use a sextant. So, I know it was used in the Navy and Marines, but I am not sure when we stopped using it. [huh]