Fred,
Whoa, I think you just stepped over the line by calling the reported North/South line a “myth”. This was recorded in the ship’s log at the time. What makes you think it’s a myth? Do you have information we don’t have. Please explain.
Ted Campbell
Ted, Thanks for the response.
As far as the 157/337 LOP, I'd forgotten about the radio communication to the Itasca.
That doesn't change the facts That she couldn’t have been.
Let me explain.
I believe she was simply reading the information that she had in front of her on her flight plan, which had been determined at departure some 18 hours beforehand.
What any team needs to be succeed is that each person on the team know and perform their particular function to the best of their ability by following the plan. In this case the team consisted of a pilot, a navigator, and various radio operators at Lae, the Itasca, and anyone else she contacted alone the way.
AE’s job as pilot was to fly the plane and communicate with the radio operators.
The radio operator’s job was to listen, respond and log the information period. All these people have a plan in front of them. In this case if was called the flight plan.
FN’s job as navigator was to compile a flight plan file it and make any changes alone the way.
Flight plans change constantly the moment after departure, due to changes such as the route, weather, and even the performance changes of the aircraft. However, after departure there’s no way of changing the information that others have in front of them.
The 157/337 LOP is based on the “sun line” at sunrise at Howland. However, they weren’t anywhere near the longitude of W176 degrees at the time of sunrise at Howland.
At 200nm from Howland they would have been somewhere near the longitude of W180 degrees or near the IDL. Since the sun line changes constantly during the day, FN as navigator, already knew the flight plan had changed. He would have no reason to put them on that particular LOP. No one else did and even it they had, it wasn't there job to worry about it.
Well before the time of the that particular radio report FN already knew that the LOP wasn't going to be correct and too soon to have computed just what the required LOP would be necessary to fly the sun line upon arriving at the longitude of W176 degrees (Howland).
So we ask ourselves, why would she report it then? There are several possible reasons.
My thoughts are that she was simply reading the information she had in front of her on the flight plan, which had been determined at departure hours beforehand.
Call it a white lie. If she'd reported anything other than what was on the flight plan it would just add confusion and alter what the radio operator was expecting her to report. In the military with a secrete clearance, we called it the “need to know” basis.
The flight plan that was filed would have included an average GS speed of 140 knots since it was the AVERAGE GS of all the flights before this one. Had they maintained the GS they would have reached Howland at sunrise. That is evident from the original east west flight from Oakland to Hawaii. There's no mystery or coindence about it. Navigation at that time was safer at night using two to three stars to determine a lon/lat fix. During the daylight hour with only the SUN and occasionaly the MOON limits reading to longitude only.
I haven't figured it out exactly because no one knows just exactly when they would have reached the W176 longitude , but using an average GS of 111- 140 and before the reported LOP they'd reached the sun line for an approach to Howland their LOP would have been somewhere around 127/307. Of course That LOP would only be valid for a few minutes.
I also wouldn’t be surprised if FN just decided to just fly all the way to the W176 degree longitude then fly directly 180 degrees true south. It would have been safer. Especially since it was such a long time since he’d been able to acquire a latitude fix. At least that’s what I’d have done. But to avoid any confusion, I’d let Amelia report what was on the flight plan.
Keep in mind that once an approach LOP is established and they turn onto it the only method of acquiring the destination is the use DR from then on or until Fred knew they had passed the W176 degree longitude. Once he knew that then they would fly the prescribed square search for a period of time. After that period of time expired, Fred would have no choice but to fly to the W176 lon. and fly a true 180/360 NS LOP since that would be the only known. As I said the approach LOP is null and void after a one time shot at it using DR only.
Fred