" AIR NAVIGATION MAP READING " WWII ROYAL AIR FORCE NAVIGATOR TRAINING FILM GG44145

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Dating to WWII, "Air Navigation Map Reading" (Part 1 of 2; we do not have second part) is an official Royal Air Force training film that was shown to navigator trainees as part of their curriculum. It was made by Science Films Ltd. of London with photography by Norman S. Macqueen. The film shows a navigation problem encountered by a bomber that has made a raid on Dieppe in Occupied France, and has diverted from its planned course due to an attack by enemy fighter aircraft. Now the navigator must plot a new course for home through broken clouds, which he does using landmarks, a map and a navigation computer. At the start of the film, the navigator's hand is shown tracing routes on a map. At (1:26) the methodology of the film is shown, with a camera aimed out of the front window of the aircraft so as to show the approximate view of the navigator. At (1:59) bends of the coast line near Beachy Head, UK in Sussex are lined up by the navigator so as to learn his location. At (2:15) the experienced navigator assesses the shape of the headland and looks for other identifying marks including the lack of a railway line, to determine that it is in fact Beachy Head. Now that he knows his position, the navigator plots a new course home, with care taken to avoid a restricted area near Thames Haven. Again the navigator is shown drawing a course with a ruler and table plotter (3:24). At (3:37) he uses a navigational computer to set a heading using true air speed. (This appears to be a Royal Air Force Navigational Computer (Computor) Mk. IIIH unit.) At (4:26) the aircraft clock is used by the navigator to time mark intervals so as to calculate speed of 172 mph. Using the slide rule on the rear of the computer, he is able to read off time difference and steps off the scale on the map (5:18). At (5:57) using a compass he is able to make determinations as to ETAs for various time marks. At (6:28) the map is oriented with the heading of the aircraft so as to aid the navigator in determining location. At (7:24) a railway junction is identified as the next important landmark to find. At (8:55) the road on the map is also identified. The narrator notes that roads are not that useful for navigation because there are so many of them, and shows this danger vividly. At (9:48) nearby woods are shown, which can be useful in some situations for identifying location, but only via shape orientation. At (11:20) a wood is shown and analyzed with respect to the map, with the narrator noting that woods can change shape as trees are harvested and can snare an inexperienced navigator. At (12:30) low hills are identified as the next landmark. At (14:27) a lake is identified as another landmark to find. Here, it becomes evident that the lake has been drained, showing how lakes can be unreliable as landmarks. At (15:28) a time is circled as a "fact" versus a prophecy (not circled). At (15:46) another railway line is identified. At (16:00) a railway tunnel is identified, with the narrator noting that there are 15 tunnels along the line, so careful observation has to be utilized. At (17:00) a long, straight railroad track is predicted to appear, used by many commercial airlines before the war as a guidepost. At (19:24) the important railway line is indicated as coming into a view shortly, and it appears at (20:00). At (20:28) a junction on the map is studied versus the view out the window, and the junction in view identified. Film ends.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com