NavList:

Dear Byron,

Thank you for your reply.

Your Article about "Franklin Piloting Technique" is excellent and a very welcome complement to the use of the 2 closest Navaids Intersection as "Best Accuracy available Fix".

It could be summarized as follows :

"In the case of a 3 Navaid Visual Fix, and as long as the 2 closest Navaids Intersection (sufficient cut angle required) is CONSISTENT with the LOP derived from the 3rd most distant Navaid, then use this 2 closest Navaids Intersection as your Fix, and as "Cherry on the cake" get an indication on Compass error from the comparison between "observed-true" bearings difference taken from this 3 rd most distant Navaid.

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While Piloting in Danger Waters, when got my early training (1972-1975), and to the best of my knowledge then, the requirement was :

- one Fix every Five Minutes, and

- observe only "ahead up to abeam" *** (not to the aft), and

- Shoot the fastest changing bearing LAST.

I do not know the current French Navy requirements. I would assume that they have been tightened into some equivalent of your current US NAVY rules.

*******

Thank you and Congratulations again for the quality and innovation of your practical ideas. They are not just only "theory", and they can be implemented in True World Operations and that is why they are "something of value".

Best Regards from

Antoine M. "Kermit" Couëtte, CDR (FN) Ret.

*** "Ahead up to abeam" : interestingly enough, it is one of the "4 rules" for Low level Airborne Visual Navigation, which I am going to cover in a separate post.

Last Note : While in exchange in the US Navy as an A7(E) CORSAIR II Pilot, and when not flying at night I most often climbed all the way up to shoot stars on USS John F. Kennedy CV67.

I recently (re)discovered in my personnal archives some observations made on board this same Aircraft Carrier in September 1986 with QMCS Stevens who was a very nice Gentleman, since for the occasion he had even lent me his own sextant !!! Since the Navy is a "small world" ... maybe you met him also in your carrier ?

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