The first flying doctor didn't own a Bonanza!
Did you know that the very first pilot from the United States was a Flying Physician?
While doing research for my upcoming book: A Complete Illustrated History of the United States Air Force (Barnes & Noble books) I came across the fact that one of the first balloonists, John Jeffries, was an American citizen and was one of the first two aeronauts to cross the English Channel in a balloon in 1785.
Dr. Jeffries was born in the colonies and was the doctor who treated the victims of the Boston Massacre. He was a loyalist and lived in England during the Revolutionary War but returned to live in the United States in later life.
Jeffries was the inventor of the first instrument panel as well. While other balloonists were content to take chickens and sheep aloft, John took scientific instruments. The very first instrument panel to ever fly contained:
- A thermometer
- Barometer
- Hydrometer
- Electrometer (for measuring electrical activity) and,
- A clock
- Compass
- Telescope
- Thin ribbon (to throw out to measure flight speed)
So there you have it: The very first pilot to fly anything in this country was a Flying Physician.
see Kevin's New book, The CEO of the Cockpit
2008-12-08 20:17:28 GMT
Comments (4 total)
Author:Anonymous
Hey, that ribbon is a great idea! I am adding it to my personal MEL. Forget about those erroneous airspeed readings during a slip, just toss the ribbon out the window, Genius!
--Joanne
<mailto:flieger87@hotmail.com>
2008-12-13 00:01:49 GMT
--Joanne
<mailto:flieger87@hotmail.com>
Author:Anonymous
Hey, that ribbon is a great idea! I am adding it to my personal MEL. Forget about those erroneous airspeed readings during a slip, just toss the ribbon out the window, Genius!
--Joanne
<mailto:flieger87@hotmail.com>
2008-12-13 00:02:02 GMT
--Joanne
<mailto:flieger87@hotmail.com>
Author:Anonymous
Sorry about the double post! The truth is out, I am actually a computer masquerading as human, proven by the fact that I must make multiple attempts to get the word verification correct.
J.
2008-12-13 00:07:19 GMT
J.
Author:Anonymous
BOGUS!
Ballons don't actually fly...
Hense you can't fly them...
I use this methode.
THE CAT & DUCK METHOD OF FLYING
Today's flight age is an era highlighted with increasing emphasis on safety. Instrumentation in the cockpit and in the traffic control tower has reached new peaks of electronic perfection to assist the pilot during take-offs, flight, and landings. For whimsical contrast to these and other marvels of scientific flight engineering, it is perhaps opportune to remind pilots of the basic rules concerning the so-called Cat-and-Duck Method of Flight, just in case something goes wrong with any of these new- fangled flying instruments you find in today's aircraft.
Place a live cat on the cockpit floor. Because a cat always remains upright, he or she can be used in lieu of a needle and ball. Merely watch to see which way the cat leans to determine if a wing is low and, if so, which one.
The duck is used for the instrument approach and landing. Because any sensible duck will refuse to fly under instrument conditions, it is only necessary to hurl your duck out of the plane and follow her to the ground.
There are some limitations to the Cat-and-Duck Method, but by rigidly adhering to the following check list, a degree of success will be achieved.
* Get a wide-awake cat. Most cats do not want to stand up at all, at any time. It may be necessary to get a large fierce dog in the cockpit to keep the cat at attention.
* Make sure your cat is clean. Dirty cats will spend all their time washing. Trying to follow a cat licking itself usually results in a tight snap roll, followed by an inverted (or flat) spin. You can see this is very unsanitary.
* Old cats are best. Young cats have nine lives, but an old used-up cat with only one life left has just as much to lose an you do and will therefore be more dependable.
* Beware of cowardly ducks. If the duck discovers that you are using the cat to stay upright - or straight and level- she will refuse to leave without the cat. Ducks are no better on instruments than you are.
* Be sure the duck has good eyesight. Nearsighted ducks sometimes will go flogging off into the nearest hill. Very short-sighted ducks will not realize they have been thrown out and will descend to the ground in a sitting position. This maneuver is quite difficult to follow in an airplane.
* Use land-loving ducks. It is very discouraging to break out and find yourself on final approach for some farm pound in Iowa. Also, the farmers there suffer from temporary insanity when chasing crows off their corn fields and will shoot anything that flies.
* Choose your duck carefully. It is easy to confuse ducks with geese because many water birds look alike. While they are very competent instrument flyers , geese seldom want to go in the same direction you do. If your duck heads off for the Okefenokee Swamp, you may be sure you have been given the goose.
--Duck.
<mailto:Todd.Covey@comcast.net>
2009-01-06 22:01:18 GMT
Ballons don't actually fly...
Hense you can't fly them...
I use this methode.
THE CAT & DUCK METHOD OF FLYING
Today's flight age is an era highlighted with increasing emphasis on safety. Instrumentation in the cockpit and in the traffic control tower has reached new peaks of electronic perfection to assist the pilot during take-offs, flight, and landings. For whimsical contrast to these and other marvels of scientific flight engineering, it is perhaps opportune to remind pilots of the basic rules concerning the so-called Cat-and-Duck Method of Flight, just in case something goes wrong with any of these new- fangled flying instruments you find in today's aircraft.
Place a live cat on the cockpit floor. Because a cat always remains upright, he or she can be used in lieu of a needle and ball. Merely watch to see which way the cat leans to determine if a wing is low and, if so, which one.
The duck is used for the instrument approach and landing. Because any sensible duck will refuse to fly under instrument conditions, it is only necessary to hurl your duck out of the plane and follow her to the ground.
There are some limitations to the Cat-and-Duck Method, but by rigidly adhering to the following check list, a degree of success will be achieved.
* Get a wide-awake cat. Most cats do not want to stand up at all, at any time. It may be necessary to get a large fierce dog in the cockpit to keep the cat at attention.
* Make sure your cat is clean. Dirty cats will spend all their time washing. Trying to follow a cat licking itself usually results in a tight snap roll, followed by an inverted (or flat) spin. You can see this is very unsanitary.
* Old cats are best. Young cats have nine lives, but an old used-up cat with only one life left has just as much to lose an you do and will therefore be more dependable.
* Beware of cowardly ducks. If the duck discovers that you are using the cat to stay upright - or straight and level- she will refuse to leave without the cat. Ducks are no better on instruments than you are.
* Be sure the duck has good eyesight. Nearsighted ducks sometimes will go flogging off into the nearest hill. Very short-sighted ducks will not realize they have been thrown out and will descend to the ground in a sitting position. This maneuver is quite difficult to follow in an airplane.
* Use land-loving ducks. It is very discouraging to break out and find yourself on final approach for some farm pound in Iowa. Also, the farmers there suffer from temporary insanity when chasing crows off their corn fields and will shoot anything that flies.
* Choose your duck carefully. It is easy to confuse ducks with geese because many water birds look alike. While they are very competent instrument flyers , geese seldom want to go in the same direction you do. If your duck heads off for the Okefenokee Swamp, you may be sure you have been given the goose.
--Duck.
<mailto:Todd.Covey@comcast.net>
