Navigate the Skies! Activity

September 1925. Your mission: the first aerial crossing to Hawaii. Your aircraft: the Navy's new PN-9 long-range patrol aircraft. Are you up to the challenge?
Can You Navigate an Airplane?
 
Campbell Bennett Aperiodic Compass, Sun Compass, Gyro Magnetic Compass Ground Speed and Drift Meter, Time-Speed-Distance Computer, Wind Correction Computer
Bubble Sextant, Star Altitude Curves, H.O. 214 Hour Angle-Altitude-Azimuth Tables, Line of Position Table, Star Finder
Fairchild Kruesi Radio Compass
Bendix Gyro FluxGate Compass, Air Position Indicator, Mark II Astrocompass, B-3 Drift Sight, Mark IV Float Lights, E-6B Dead Reckoning Computer, Model 3-B Protractor
Mark V Averaging Bubble Sextant, Astrodome, AN 5740 Navigation Chronometer, Air Almanac
AN/APN-4 LORAN, SCR 717 ASV Radar, Radio Compass
Earth Indicator Compass, Drift Angle Meter, Drift Computer, Float Smoke Flares (x12), Chart Board, Parallel Ruler
Bubble Sextant, Bygrave Slide Rule, Hydrographic Office Tables, Torpedo Boat Watch
SE-1385 Radio Set
Nortronics NAS-14V2 Astro-Inertial Navigation System
Nortronics NAS-14V2 Astro-Intertial Navigation System
AR/ARN-118(V) TACAN, AN/ARA-48 Automatic Direction Finder
Departing San Francisco!
Now using radio navigation!
There's the first signal ship!
The signal's fading!
Using celestial navigation!
We have a clear view of the stars.
We're on course!
Looks like clouds ahead!
Using dead reckoning!
It's not very accurate, but it's the best we have!
It looks like the clouds are breaking up!
Select the best type of navigation. You can switch it as conditions change.
Is there anything more accurate?
Choose another type of navigation now!
Good choice!
We're losing the radio signal!
Correct! Celestial navigation is the best choice.
Yes! Dead reckoning is a good choice with these clouds ahead.
Yes! Dead reckoning is our only option right now.
There's land ahead!
It's Hawaii!
Coming in for a water landing!
You are going in the wrong direction. Use the slider to change course.
  • Use only within range of the direction finding ships.
  • The best option when radio isn't available.
  • Doesn't work when you can't see the sun or stars.
  • The best guess for knowing where you are when radio or celestial navigation fixes are unavailable.
  • Can you choose the right types of navigation to keep your airplane on course? Conditions are always changing, so stay alert!
You're off course!
It's important to stay on course for Hawaii. Would you like to try this part of the mission again, or move on to the next segment?
It's important to stay on course for Hawaii. You were getting closer but you have flown too far off course to complete the mission. Would you like to try navigating the second half of this flight again?
Dead Reckoning
Radio
Celestial
Drag
The arrow will point you in the right direction.
Use the slider to change the direction of your airplane.
Welcome Aboard Navigator!