Air Force the Official Service Journal - Air Force Historical Studies ...

INSTRUMENT PANEL
(Continued from Page 36)
lind the turn and hank indicator, which
arc primarv emergency instnuncuts, arc
placed adjacent to one another.
S. Thc m.mitold prcssmc gange can be installed
ucvt to tlu: flight indicator (gITo
horizon) with rcsulting ackmtagc of
ha\'ing pO\\Tr inst nuucnt adjacent to
at t it uclc iudicating inst nuncnt for
powcr-att ituclc setup.
6. Vvit h the manifold pressme gauge installed
next to the flight indicator. the
pilot with one horizontal s\\eep of his
eves can go from pm\'er indications
throngh lateral and lougitudiu.rl attitude
iudic.rt ious and hv continued
glances check the other 'flight iustrumcnts.
7. Beeanse of their central location, there
is no p.rrallc« error in reading the turn
and bank indicator and the turn indicator.
(Parallcx error is that resulting
from reading the instrument from the
side, thus gil'ing an untrue picture of
the actual position of the indicator
pointers. )
8. 'I'hc rate of climb indicator is in the
least conspicuons place. (Instructors
waste mnc-h time tcaehing students not
to usc this iustrumcut except when
estahlishing a desired rate of descent
and, in a few instances, a desired rate
of climb. If the instrument is in a
promincnt position, it attracts the stu
dent's attention, gi\'ing him a tendency
to attempt to usc it to flv le\'el.)
;\ Iodificat ions of the instrument panels of
aircraft alrc.ulv in service so as to incorporate
the new Stn;dard Fhght Instrument Panel
arc being carried ont in thc field as rapidly
as possible. New aircraft will conic off the
product ion lines with the panel iustnllcd.
Further, bv approval of the Joint Aircraft
Committce, thc panel is now standard for
all svnthct ic iustrunu-nt training devices.
It' is .rpprccintcd Iullv that this new panel
:nrangement will not satish' cvcrvboclv.
l Iowovcr. the Standard Fli~ht Instrument
Panel represents the best thought and cx
pcricncc OIl the subject available in the
,\:\1' and, as such, is presented wit hout
apology. *
"Three million, five hundred thousand and
one, and two, and three ... !"
--- F. \\' I L 1'\.1 ;..:~\ rx
Flying Safety
Suggestionsfrom the Ollice 01 Flying Safety, Headquarters, Army Air Forces, in the interest 01 accident reduction
THESE lTE:\IS ARE FOR EDCC,\T!OX,\L PIJRPOSES AX!) ARE XOT TO BI: COXST!CUED AS IJlIU:CT!I'ES
Bail-out Training. I'hing cldets at :\ lar.ma
Annv Air Field. Ariz.. arc getting realistic
practice in bailing out of fighter planes along
with regular flying training. Cadets jump
from a mock-up of a fighter cockpit mounted
on a platform about 2U feet high; harnesses
arc attached to a line from another tower
ncarbv. After falling free for I () feet thcv
'lie je'rked to a stop bv a countcrbalaucc.
Tower on Wheels. Advanced trainees at
Shaw Field, S, C" receive landing instruct
rou« and advice from a portable control
tower parked ncar the III 111\ aI" in usc, The
1S-foot tower is completeh wc.rthcrproofcd
and wired to pIng into the night lighting
circuit. :\ lounted on four discarded BT
wheels, it was constructed of ordin.irv lmuher
by the sub-depot from plans submitted
bv the operations and communications officers.
It is towed bv jeep and mal" be rc-
IIIo\Td from the fl\'ing field when not in usc,
Runway Status Diagrams. Safctv-rnindcd
officers at Langlcv Field, Va., have devised
a novel metho'd 'to keep .urcrcws informed
on status of runwavs. Diagrams of the field's
ruuw.tvs arc mapped OIl siclcw.ilk, outside
operations office exit». In addition to showing
transient crews the CXJct location of all
runwavs, construction \HHk and other hazards
arc marked on the map, A quick glancc
tells the storv of the fIeld's condition.
Mauv airl;ases rubbcrst.uup a diagram of
the fiel~I's runwavs on the back of Form 23,
Any help offere~l to rn.ikc t r.msicut pilots
more familiar with a field's lavout and current
condition contributc to s.ifcr opcrnt iou-.
Fighter Safety Club. To sf imulatc pilot
interest in fl\ing safctv and to reward safe
pilots with clear accident records, the 72d
Fighter \\'ing has organized a I'ighter Safctv
Club, Pilots receive leaves of two to five
days when they become eligibk for three
tvpcs of club m cruhcrvh ip.
,\ pilot who flies fighters for marc than :;1)
hours without an accident can-ed in am' W,I\'
bv pilot error is eligible to become a "pilot
mcm her." Reward for this accom pI isluucu t
IS two dan ICI\'e. "Senior members"pilots
,,'ith'morc th.m 7:; hours accidentfrce
time-get three d.ivs leave. "Command
nlcmbers"-thosc with more th.m 17:; hours
-mal" take fin; d.iv-. leave.
The b.isc fl\'in~ safctv officer suhm it-,
names of pilots when thcv bccome eligiblc
for varioux classes of mcmbership to the
comm,nHling gcneral of fhc \\'iug, ;\f:nncs
arc checked against accident records. If pilot-.
arc qualified. they mal" take the appropriate
leave as soon as it docs not cxmflict \\Ith
training or other sclicdulcs.
.\11\' disciplinary action agaimt a member
of the safctv club, rcvult iiu; trout carclcs-, or
ncgligent fhing, unuu-rliatclv «nlccls IIIS
mcm hcrvlup. and he must start OITr agcIin,
Safety Award. :\ fern'ing group at LO\'C
Field. Texas, stimul.rtc-, interest in aircraft
accident rcdnction bv awardinr; this fl\'ing
safety plaque to the squadron having the
AIR FORCE