V.—The R.A.F. Air Navigation Simulator

Abstract

No. 6 Flying Training School at R.A.F. Finningley trains all R.A.F. ab initio navigators as well as refreshing the failing memories of its ageing qualified navigators, tasks which have been helped over the last 18 months by the introduction of an air navigation simulator based on a digital computer. The simulator can seat 15 students in three banks of 5, each bank being controlled by an instructor seated at a control console. The diagram on p. 267 shows the layout of one self-contained bank of 5 cubicles. In front of each console is a track display unit (TDU) on which the briefed route is traced drawn in ink on a ground glass screen. The students’ cubicles are instrumented to simulate the Dominie advanced navigation trainer but there are additional facilities so that Varsity sorties may be flown by students in their basic phase of training.