NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: A-10 Sextant Manual
From: Douglas Denny
Date: 2009 Jun 11, 03:17 -0700
From: Douglas Denny
Date: 2009 Jun 11, 03:17 -0700
Regarding Sir Francis Chichester: Dr. Kolbe has it right. I was referring not his astonishing navigation for which I have the very highest regard indeed, but to the fact he was willing to put his life on the line with an aeroplane that he describes in his book already had various problems such as having fitting floats without checking if they leaked or not, and an engine that had already given him problems, and in the run-up check before leaving for Norfolk Island he says:- "I could only get 1780 revs, forty less than I expected, and my spirits sank. I should never get off with a full load with a motor like that, but said nothing to the CO about it. The seaplane was launched. I faced her into the wind, and opened the throttle; to my surprise she left the water as easily as a sea bird..... ". The man must have been mad or very determined, or both. To cross the Tasman Sea - a nasty stretch of water notorious for bad weather, two thirds the width of the Atlantic, in a single engined float plane with engine in dubious condition is more than reckless. But got away with it. My impression from reading his books is he was what we would call a "loose cannon" and contemptuous of any advice or authority. From reading about him it seems he must have been a truly remarkable person but not very 'likeable'. Douglas Denny. Chichester. England. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Navigation List archive: www.fer3.com/arc To post, email NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---