Simviation Forums

I was just wondering--do you suppose the first person to fly a plane through a cloud may have been a little apprehensive?

Jim

I was letting off some kind of gas but I'm not sure what it was.

Seriously though, flying through a cloud without any kind of visual reference, possibly getting disoriented.  Maybe that influenced the designs of the first attitude reference instruments...?

Again, more gas.

Happy flying,

Jim

Seriously though, flying through a cloud without any kind of visual reference, possibly getting disoriented.  Maybe that influenced the designs of the first attitude reference instruments...?

This is a very interesting subject. The legendary James H Doolittle is credited with the first totally blind flight (including  take off & landing) in the history of aviation on 24th September, 1929. He flew the aircraft from "under the hood" & despite his protests was accompanied by a safety pilot in the second open cockpit of the Consolidated NY-2 at the insistence of the authorities. http://www.afa.org/magazine/1993/1193doolittle.html
General Doolittle's biography is well worth a read.

Albert Francis Hegenberger made the first solo blind flight at Wright Field. Dayton, Ohio on 9th May, 1932. http://www.firstflight.org/shrine/albert_hegenberger.cfm

James Doolittle was a fascinating man.  I wonder where aviation would be today without him.

Thanks for the info on Albert Francis Hegenberger.  I've actually never heard of him before, which is surprising due to the large amount of aviation history I've studied over the years.

Happy Flying,

Jim