Flying Tuition by Wireless

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 28, 24 January 1930, Page 8

Flying Tuition by Wireless

I nstruction from the Ground . A MOST interesting demonstration. of a wireless system by which a fiying instructor on the ground can still instruct his pupil, during the solo stage; and ‘correct his errors while ‘he is in the air, was given recently at the Heston Air Park in England. _ Lhe chief feature of the wireless method ,of instruction corftrol is that the timid solo pilot, or one about to commit mistakes, will hear the voice of the instructor just as if the latter were in the rear cockpit talking to the pilot through the ear phones; and it is considered important that the words of warning should come through the familiar chan-

nel.. : : . The apparatus consists of a lightweight receiver fitted into the machine with a rigid aerial mounted from the wings to the tail. For the demonstration, a conventional transmitter, counected vith a microphone mounted in a glass-sided room at the top of the. Heston control tower, was used. : "wo. light machines were used fdr the experiment, and though a howling gale was blowing at the.time, they executed without hesitation every order radioed to them by the watchers in the tower below. The demonstration was a convincing one of the efficiency of the communication, and it was linked with another addition to the wireless equipment of Heston Air Park. | Recently this airport became the first aerodrome to be provided with a ground installation © which, with only half a kilowatt of power, will receive and transmit telegraphic and telephonic messages over a range of 300. miles. The London Terminal Airport has a much more elaborate and powerful equipment, but this set installed at sufficient municipal aerodromes in the country would provide a complete wireless chain for weather reporting. Its yalue will lie in facilitating the work of air taxi services and private charters throughout the United Kingdom, and once other airports are similarly equipped a pilot will be able to find out speedily the weather conditions anywhere ahead. , ,