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Glenn - My research as of two years ago:  Yes, the refueling tankers are
required to use and practice CelNav on each flight.  This from the Refueling
Wing out of O'hare Airport, Chicago.  They use a periscope bubble sextant
and the Air Tables (HO249) and do it all by long hand even in the days of
calculators and nav computers.  I understand the reasoning is as the
ultimate backup to "Alfred E. Neumann" navigation (ie GPS).  If a war were
to break out the first thing to go will be the sat nav and there better be a
reliable alternative.  And the flying gas stations are the most important
with the best navigators.  If the tankers are not in the correct position
then other planes (fighters, bombers, transports, etc) start falling out of
the sky.  Not good.  These guys ARE good.

Bob Peterson

ps: glad to pass along my contacts if interested.

At 07:13 6/11/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Does anyone know how many U.S. Air Force aircraft still use celestial
>navigation?  I need this information for my graduate research project.
>Thank You.
>
>Glenn Moore
>
Robert S. Peterson
Great Lakes Compass
31 N Alfred, Elgin IL  60123  USA
847/697-6491
Compass Adjusting & Repair for Lake Michigan Navigators Since 1985
Navigation classes at the Adler Planetarium
e-mail: rpeterson@kiwi.dep.anl.gov

   

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