Podcast
Questions and Answers
What two methods do most pilots use to navigate when flying using VFR rules?
What two methods do most pilots use to navigate when flying using VFR rules?
Dead reckoning and pilotage.
What does a pilot use to deduce the proper heading when using dead reckoning?
What does a pilot use to deduce the proper heading when using dead reckoning?
Forecast winds and trigonometry.
What is used to check the accuracy of a dead reckoning heading?
What is used to check the accuracy of a dead reckoning heading?
A sectional chart.
What is the first step in flight planning using dead reckoning and pilotage?
What is the first step in flight planning using dead reckoning and pilotage?
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What was the name of the first scheduled airline in the United States?
What was the name of the first scheduled airline in the United States?
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Why did the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line fail?
Why did the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line fail?
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What is the device called that pilots use to measure the angle of a course?
What is the device called that pilots use to measure the angle of a course?
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What is the deduced direction that an aircraft must be aimed to track to the desired destination?
What is the deduced direction that an aircraft must be aimed to track to the desired destination?
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What helped establish the aviation industry after World War I?
What helped establish the aviation industry after World War I?
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What is the angular difference between the aircraft's heading and true course called?
What is the angular difference between the aircraft's heading and true course called?
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Why were early airlines after World War I not very successful?
Why were early airlines after World War I not very successful?
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What does a magnetic compass usually point towards?
What does a magnetic compass usually point towards?
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When was the nation's first official airmail service authorized?
When was the nation's first official airmail service authorized?
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When did the first airmail flight take place?
When did the first airmail flight take place?
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What did the Post Office Department eventually do to help the airline industry?
What did the Post Office Department eventually do to help the airline industry?
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How did airmail contracts help the fledgling airline industry?
How did airmail contracts help the fledgling airline industry?
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What is the term for the path an aircraft flies over the ground?
What is the term for the path an aircraft flies over the ground?
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What kind of maps were initially used for aerial navigation in the 1920s?
What kind of maps were initially used for aerial navigation in the 1920s?
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What type of chart did the U.S. government develop for air navigation?
What type of chart did the U.S. government develop for air navigation?
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What is the scale of sectional charts?
What is the scale of sectional charts?
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What key geographic features are shown on sectional charts?
What key geographic features are shown on sectional charts?
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Who prints sectional charts?
Who prints sectional charts?
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What other type of chart is similar to sectionals, but at a smaller scale, that some IFR pilots use?
What other type of chart is similar to sectionals, but at a smaller scale, that some IFR pilots use?
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What is the scale of WACs?
What is the scale of WACs?
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When is the magnetic compass most accurate?
When is the magnetic compass most accurate?
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What are the errors called that occur when the aircraft changes speed or turns?
What are the errors called that occur when the aircraft changes speed or turns?
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What could cause errors in the magnetic compass in addition to acceleration and turning?
What could cause errors in the magnetic compass in addition to acceleration and turning?
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What instrument can help alleviate many of the problems with a magnetic compass?
What instrument can help alleviate many of the problems with a magnetic compass?
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How is the heading indicator initially set?
How is the heading indicator initially set?
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Is the heading indicator subject to acceleration or turning errors?
Is the heading indicator subject to acceleration or turning errors?
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What causes the heading indicator to become inaccurate during flight?
What causes the heading indicator to become inaccurate during flight?
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What must a pilot do to ensure an accurate heading with the heading indicator?
What must a pilot do to ensure an accurate heading with the heading indicator?
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What can cause a heading indicator to fail, even when properly set?
What can cause a heading indicator to fail, even when properly set?
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What is the term for the gradual drift of a heading indicator that requires periodic resets?
What is the term for the gradual drift of a heading indicator that requires periodic resets?
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What two navigation methods do most pilots use in combination, even with dead reckoning?
What two navigation methods do most pilots use in combination, even with dead reckoning?
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What is the main method of navigation for most VFR pilots, despite being old fashioned?
What is the main method of navigation for most VFR pilots, despite being old fashioned?
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During what conditions is visual navigation almost impossible?
During what conditions is visual navigation almost impossible?
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What might be lacking in sparsely populated areas that would prevent a pilot from using visual navigation?
What might be lacking in sparsely populated areas that would prevent a pilot from using visual navigation?
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What was used to illuminate airports in the 1920s?
What was used to illuminate airports in the 1920s?
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How often were the lights placed around the airport perimeter in the 1920s?
How often were the lights placed around the airport perimeter in the 1920s?
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What was added to the lights to concentrate the beam?
What was added to the lights to concentrate the beam?
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What color were the steel cones that the airport lights were mounted on?
What color were the steel cones that the airport lights were mounted on?
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What type of light was used in the rotating beacons along the airway?
What type of light was used in the rotating beacons along the airway?
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Approximately how many candlepower did the airway beacons produce?
Approximately how many candlepower did the airway beacons produce?
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How many lenses were installed in each rotating drum assembly of the airway beacons?
How many lenses were installed in each rotating drum assembly of the airway beacons?
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What was the approximate rotation speed of the airway beacons?
What was the approximate rotation speed of the airway beacons?
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At approximately what intervals were rotating beacons installed along the airways?
At approximately what intervals were rotating beacons installed along the airways?
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What color combination indicates a civilian airport on a rotating beacon?
What color combination indicates a civilian airport on a rotating beacon?
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Study Notes
Early Airline History
- First scheduled airline flight in the US occurred before WWI, with the St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Lines.
- Operated for three months in 1914 delivering tourists to Florida.
- Shut down due to lack of passengers in spring.
- No significant airline attempts were made during WWI.
- Surplus military aircraft were sold after the war, boosting the airline industry.
- Early post-war companies used surplus aircraft, but faced high operating costs.
- Often proved unprofitable and failed quickly.
- Wealthy individuals could afford the high fares.
- Airline companies struggled because of costly surplus aircraft.
Post Office Airmail Service
- In 1916, Congress authorized the Post Office Department to establish airmail service.
- WWI delayed the policy implementation until 1918.
- First flight took place from NYC to Washington, D.C. on May 15, 1918 using US Army aircraft.
- Airmail service was initially successful.
- The Post Office Department's airmail service expanded quickly, reaching coast-to-coast.
- Airmail contracts helped struggling airlines, allowing them to use newer and more luxurious aircraft.
- Airmail service allowed passengers to travel at more affordable fares.
- Merging passenger and airmail services added complexity to scheduling and airport operations.
- Airmail routes stabilized the new airline industry.
Visual Navigation
- Initial airline pilots relied on visual references like the horizon and landmarks.
- Airline pilots used maps for navigation and noted landmarks along the route.
- Crosswind corrections were crucial to counteract drifting.
- Early road maps were inappropriate for air navigation.
- Sectional charts were developed specifically for aerial navigation.
- The U.S. government created and printed sectional charts (scale: 1:500,000).
- Sectional charts provided vital information for pilots (cities, highways, airports, terrain, etc.).
- Essential data on navigation aids and air traffic control were included.
- Sectional charts were published by the National Ocean Service for VFR use.
- World aeronautical charts (WACs) provided broader information at a lower scale for IFR flight.
Aircraft Instrumentation
- Magnetic compasses were the primary heading instruments.
- Magnetic compasses point toward magnetic north.
- The variation is the difference between true north and magnetic north, which differs depending on location in the US.
- Pilots must apply the variation to or subtract it from the aircraft's true heading to achieve accurate results when using a magnetic compass.
- Heading indicators (gyroscopic instruments) were a crucial development.
- They offer solutions to problems of acceleration, turning, and stray magnetic fields that affect the magnetic compass.
- Heading indicators must be accurately adjusted to reflect the accurate aircraft heading.
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Description
Explore the origins of the airline industry in the United States, including the first scheduled flight and the establishment of airmail services. Learn about the challenges faced during the early years, particularly post-WWI, and how these factors shaped air travel. This quiz examines key events and developments that contributed to aviation history.
