NavList:

Hi Frank

Very interesting read. And that is a worried Navy.

I am a retired RNZAF navigator, imagine in a jet aircraft (not a fighter) but lets say a LRMPA (long range maritime patrol aircraft) that the GPS goes wonky; spoofed or US ( unserviceable) and you are flying at night.

You are over the ocean, but you got to go home sometime and you got to descend below min safe altitude. Oh and the radar is down.

What now.

You are travelling at say 6 nm/ min not 20 nm per hour.

The only thing going to rescue you is celestial!

Yep hhg as happened to me. Long before GPS. No radar.

ASN inertial inaccurate.

Got to say only the stars are going to help but not unless you are already skilled at it.

Be interested to see what the air forces stance on this subject.

Hence why I am relearning celestial nav skill with both marine and bubble sextant and using log tables and computer tables.

We must keep this skill alive.

In 1976 I navigated a Bristol Freighter from Hobart to Christchurch 2000 km with overcast all the way. Max height in Bristol 10,000 ft and safety altitude about 12000 based on Mt Cook.

Cruising speed 260 kph. Only nav aid was DR and drift sight readings. We only were able to see sun occasionally.

Still remember that as a real test of basic nav skillset.

We must keep the old skills alive no matter what

Howard G