Joe Broady
Airman 1st Class
- 105
- May 30, 2019
This morning on National Geographic channel I saw a program on the Bermuda Triangle. Of course Flight 19 was mentioned. Regarding the call from Lt Taylor that his compasses (plural) were out of order, they visited a preserved Avenger. I think it was flyable since it clearly did not have original instruments, but modern round gauges. The two compasses were pointed out but not in a satisfactory way since the camera was waved around so much and lingered so briefly on the instruments. However, there were remarks that you set this one to match that one, the former being more stable than the latter. I gathered that one compass (above the windshield) was a simple magnetic type and the other "compass" was actually a directional gyro with no north seeking property. In other words, this Avenger's compass setup was like what you might find in a light plane today.
I have a TBM-3 Pilot's Manual of Flight Operating Instructions (AN 01-190EB-1) dated 1 November 1945. I hoped it would have a more accurate description of the compass equipment of Flight 19's pilots. Unfortunately, details are rather sparse. It shows a directional gyro prominently placed on the left of the left of the "turn and bank gyro" (attitude indicator). And there's a "remote indicating compass indicator" down near the pilot's knees. It looks like an AN5730-2A, which I think today would be called a flux gate compass. I see no mention of any backup magnetic "whiskey compass" but I'm almost sure one was present. Avenger cockpit photos I see online are from modernized planes, or are from the era but don't show the area where the whiskey compass would likely be. Anyone know what compass equipment an Avenger would carry in 1945?
For what it's worth, I think Taylor just got disoriented. He was new to the east coast of Florida and as I recall had never flown that exercise before. It's hard to believe the flux gate and whiskey compasses would both fail, and besides he still had radio contact with the students. At that stage of training (200 - 300 hours?) they should have had no trouble giving him their compass readings. But your sense of direction can be overpowering when it disagrees with the machine. I've had that happen when hiking. Having been to the spot a few times before, I knew the GPS steering was wrong. No it wasn't!
I have a TBM-3 Pilot's Manual of Flight Operating Instructions (AN 01-190EB-1) dated 1 November 1945. I hoped it would have a more accurate description of the compass equipment of Flight 19's pilots. Unfortunately, details are rather sparse. It shows a directional gyro prominently placed on the left of the left of the "turn and bank gyro" (attitude indicator). And there's a "remote indicating compass indicator" down near the pilot's knees. It looks like an AN5730-2A, which I think today would be called a flux gate compass. I see no mention of any backup magnetic "whiskey compass" but I'm almost sure one was present. Avenger cockpit photos I see online are from modernized planes, or are from the era but don't show the area where the whiskey compass would likely be. Anyone know what compass equipment an Avenger would carry in 1945?
For what it's worth, I think Taylor just got disoriented. He was new to the east coast of Florida and as I recall had never flown that exercise before. It's hard to believe the flux gate and whiskey compasses would both fail, and besides he still had radio contact with the students. At that stage of training (200 - 300 hours?) they should have had no trouble giving him their compass readings. But your sense of direction can be overpowering when it disagrees with the machine. I've had that happen when hiking. Having been to the spot a few times before, I knew the GPS steering was wrong. No it wasn't!
