# Warning lights



## OldGeezer (May 30, 2022)

Hope I'm putting this in the right section. According to an April 1941 article in "Flying" magazine, Curtiss Wright's St Louis Division might be responsible for the idiot lights in all our aircraft and cars and things today. They called it the "Tell Tale" system, and apparently it was something new and different then. Who knew? Or if this isn't actually the first such thing, I'd be interested in knowing what came earlier.

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## OldGeezer (May 30, 2022)

To whoever moved this from its original place - it's not a "Request" it's actual technical information. When I add words saying that I'd appreciate corrections if my information isn't accurate, that does NOT make the post a proper "Request" at all.


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## Wurger (May 30, 2022)

Anyway it still should be in the Technical sub-section.


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## Thumpalumpacus (May 30, 2022)

Warning lights are useful.


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## SaparotRob (May 30, 2022)

Thumpalumpacus said:


> Warning lights are useful.


So it’s like 1981 or something. I’m driving my “Frankenstein“ 1970/72/68? Dart on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway headed to Manhattan. I come over the rise and a cloud of steam bursts from under the hood. I killed the engine and started coasting towards an exit. That’s when the “idiot lights“ come on. 
“Thanks guys “ I said out loud.

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## FLYBOYJ (May 30, 2022)

OldGeezer said:


> Hope I'm putting this in the right section. According to an April 1941 article in "Flying" magazine, Curtiss Wright's St Louis Division might be responsible for the idiot lights in all our aircraft and cars and things today. They called it the "Tell Tale" system, and apparently it was something new and different then. Who knew? Or if this isn't actually the first such thing, I'd be interested in knowing what came earlier.


Warning lights as shown are common an many modern aircraft. Now in the case of landing gear and flaps, I do know some manufacturers had "warning poles" to indicate when the item was retracted or extended. I believe the Spitfire had this for the flaps

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## Thumpalumpacus (May 30, 2022)

SaparotRob said:


> So it’s like 1981 or something. I’m driving my “Frankenstein“ 1970/72/68? Dart on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway headed to Manhattan. I come over the rise and a cloud of steam bursts from under the hood. I killed the engine and started coasting towards an exit. That’s when the “idiot lights“ come on.
> “Thanks guys “ I said out loud.



Let me rephrase that, then: warning lights _can be_ useful.

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## FLYBOYJ (May 30, 2022)

Spitfire had it for the landing gear too

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## cvairwerks (May 30, 2022)

As aircraft complexity has increase, so has the possibility of pilot informational overload. The easiest solution to help decrease that possibility on the pilot has been "Bitchin Betty", an aural alert system that has a limited set of calls, but all can be considered critical.

For the F-16: 
F/A-18

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## Thumpalumpacus (May 30, 2022)

Yeah, I'd imagine warning systems, even old-school mechanical ones, ease the workload and allow for better CRM.


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## special ed (May 30, 2022)

I have mentioned this on another thread in the past, Bill Fornof told us he stayed in the Naval Reserve as long as he could fly round engine fighters. His last summer drill, 1949, was in California flying Corsairs. Returning from a flight, the landing gear did not indicate "three in the green" when extended, so he requested a tower fly by so they could see if L/G was down and locked. Tower responded, "Yessir, down and locked and the fire's out, too."

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