Re: [WW] Pilots/Navigate/Equipment

[deaconblue3@juno.com]

Frame of mind reference for the navigate skill and pilots made me write
what I did.  Now there's a lame excuse.  But still, I wa sthinking less
about "big bombers" and more about the two man ones used in the early
part of the war.  Mosquitos and such were in my mind when I wrote my bit.
 As bombers got bigger, and the crews larger, more specialization
occured, and certainly what you said about pilots not always having
navigation applies.  That said, even the FDR method is a form of
navigation.  Fly by Sight is still the most common form of navigation for
pilots, especially small engine pilots.  Fly by instrument is reserved
for unfamiliar territory, though most nav charts list the significant
land marks (at least my OMD ones do), as well as bad weather.  Even so,
pilots would have to be able to determine where they are by speed,
course, and time, or at least have the ability to do so.  Of course, this
is a generality, and while the individual pilots may have the skill, they
may never have had to use it.  The point about large formations, and
"group navigators" is also well taken, and understood.  Even so, once
those formations hit their targets, and this is especially so prior to
1945, those formations would generally break up, resulting from flak,
interceptors, weather, etc.  That would leave the individual pilots on
their own to get back to friendly air space, and back into friendly radar
coverage.  This is one of those "it's your campaign, do as you please"
instances I think.  Then again, when isn't it one of these?

Side note on NCO pilots: By mid1942, almost all of the NCO pilots in the
RAF had been made Warrant Officers at the least.  I have found no
information regarding those in RNAS, or the French and Polish wings. 
Also, most of the small transport and recon aircraft were flown by NCO's
(ie Lysanders) from what I can tell.  Though this seems to have been
somewhat unique to the RAF/RNAS, and does not apply to the Luftwaffe or
USAAF.

Josh R

"No matter where you go, there you are."  B.Bonzai