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When push comes to shove, what instrumentation would a pilot "depend on...to be absolutely the bible"? For the sake of discussion: Now suppose IFR conditions a

When push comes to shove, what instrumentation would a pilot "depend on...to be absolutely the bible"? For the sake of discussion: Now suppose IFR conditions and a hypothetical directed RF attack vector which spoofs instrument nav/pos data...I'm thinking GPS, VOR, radar altimeter.

WalterBright 9y ago
There's a set of old-fashioned instruments in the cockpit - compass, altimeter, airspeed indicator, and turn-and-bank indicator that are not reliant on anything else to work. I'm not a pilot, but if I was "in the soup" when this happens, first I'd try radioing the ATC and asking Victor for a Vector out of it. Then fly that vector straight & level. No radio, then it's old-fashioned map, compass, and dead reckoning. A 757 has a lot of range, so you should be fine. My father was a navigator in B-17s, and used celestial navigation. I suppose they don't teach pilots that anymore.
- jacquesm 9y ago
  > I suppose they don't teach pilots that anymore. They do, but you need to be able to see your references to be able to do that.
  - WalterBright 9y ago
    A penlight should do the trick.
    - mveety 9y ago
      No. You absolutely need instruments. Flying IFR without instruments is an absolutely sure fire way to get killed. You can't fly straight and level without an artificial horizon. You don't know if you're descending without, at the bare minimum, an altimeter. You don't know if you're about to stall without and airspeed indicator. You don't know which direction you're going without a compass. Not having instruments in ideal VFR conditions is perfectly fine, but if the weather goes south you're dead. Edit: also some aircraft are going totally glass. I've seen some homebuilts and super cubs without steam gauges completely, and it's just a matter of time until Cessna, Boeing, Airbus, etc eliminate them.
      - WalterBright 9y ago
        > You absolutely need instruments. That's what I said upthread a couple of posts. The penlight thing was in response to someone saying what to do if it is too dark to read the instruments.
        jacquesm 9y ago
        I think you missed the point there, but never mind.
ubernostrum 9y ago
There are still planes in use in the US which have a port for using a sextant to do celestial navigation.
mveety 9y ago
No you need your basic sixpack. The radar altimeter might do but it only tells you your altitude in reference to the height of the stuff under you and most only up to 2500 ft. In terms of survival, I would want at minimum an artificial horizon, airspeed indicator, altimeter, and lots of fuel to hopefully fly to somewhere with better weather.

WalterBright 9y ago

There's a set of old-fashioned instruments in the cockpit - compass, altimeter, airspeed indicator, and turn-and-bank indicator that are not reliant on anything else to work. I'm not a pilot, but if I was "in the soup" when this happens, first I'd try radioing the ATC and asking Victor for a Vector out of it. Then fly that vector straight & level. No radio, then it's old-fashioned map, compass, and dead reckoning. A 757 has a lot of range, so you should be fine. My father was a navigator in B-17s, and used celestial navigation. I suppose they don't teach pilots that anymore.

jacquesm 9y ago
> I suppose they don't teach pilots that anymore. They do, but you need to be able to see your references to be able to do that.
- WalterBright 9y ago
  A penlight should do the trick.
  - mveety 9y ago
    No. You absolutely need instruments. Flying IFR without instruments is an absolutely sure fire way to get killed. You can't fly straight and level without an artificial horizon. You don't know if you're descending without, at the bare minimum, an altimeter. You don't know if you're about to stall without and airspeed indicator. You don't know which direction you're going without a compass. Not having instruments in ideal VFR conditions is perfectly fine, but if the weather goes south you're dead. Edit: also some aircraft are going totally glass. I've seen some homebuilts and super cubs without steam gauges completely, and it's just a matter of time until Cessna, Boeing, Airbus, etc eliminate them.
    - WalterBright 9y ago
      > You absolutely need instruments. That's what I said upthread a couple of posts. The penlight thing was in response to someone saying what to do if it is too dark to read the instruments.
      - jacquesm 9y ago
        I think you missed the point there, but never mind.

ubernostrum 9y ago

There are still planes in use in the US which have a port for using a sextant to do celestial navigation.

mveety 9y ago

No you need your basic sixpack. The radar altimeter might do but it only tells you your altitude in reference to the height of the stuff under you and most only up to 2500 ft. In terms of survival, I would want at minimum an artificial horizon, airspeed indicator, altimeter, and lots of fuel to hopefully fly to somewhere with better weather.