Great article!!!! I can only imagine flying a 400hp open cockpit biplane over the darkened landscape of an industrializing, but still agrarian up-and-coming superpower. Those bonfires, wow, and the lights. And, dont forget the "concrete arrows" http://sometimes-interesting.com/2013/12/04/concrete-arrows-and-the-u-s-airmail-beacon-system/ when I learned to fly in the 1980's and bought a Grumman AA1, I went on cross countrys at night. I only had VOR for assistance to pilotage, so I made sure I learned landmarks! I remember climbing to service ceiling (poor mans altitude hold!) dialing up distant VOR and listening for the first signs of the morse code. Later, I got a Loran C and could start saving gas by flying direct more often. But it was nice to drone on for hours with just these sounds in the headset, the VOR, the interference from the strobes etc. But it was nothing like what those airmail guys were going by!!!! In my situation, it was still pilotage, and these navigation aids were just that. It was eyes out of the plane and be aware of where on Earth you were. Now, it seems eyes outside are just an aid to the real navigation of GPS/moving map/synvis on the panel, maybe even with an autopilot. To me, that blurs the line between being a pilot, and and being a passenger. If/when I build my KR, it will be old school. I plan on making x-c's and using minimal electronics. maybe just a handheld GPS, and relying on looking outside and knowing the landmarks that should be coming up, adjusting for wind based on which side of the nose landmark is on.
> > I'm posting the link to that article here in case somebody has a few > minutes to read some really first rate aviation writing. > > > http://www.flyingmag.com/technique/proficiency/importance-being-lost > >
