How about some vintage watch ad copy featuring some Lockheed Electra cockpit...



(not an expert, but I think the 'wheel yolk' is correct for the Electra.)

From a 1938 National Geographic.

Maybe carrying on the square pilot's watch tradition from the original Cartier Santos... ;-)

 

I believe it is for the model 10 Electra. This had to be taken before June 1937.

 

Thanks for sharing this. What I find really interesting is that although Northwest Airlines had adopted Hamilton as its "official flight watch", the watch which the pilot in the ad is wearing is a generic men's wristwatch rather than a specially designed tool watch such as the Rolex GMT Master or IWC flieger. Of course, we've all seen the ads for the GMT Master which spruik it's credentials as a pilot's watch:



But, whilst trawling the 'net I also came across these old print ads from the 1990s:




I didn't know that Chuck Yeager was a Rolex ambassador. Guess you learn something new every day!

 

Seeing the airliner Sextant was interesting. I was thinking a flying boat or some such - celestial navigation was not used in jet airliners as technology superseded it I thought…. But a quick search found…

https://aviation.stackexchange.com/...need-to-know-how-to-use-a-sextant/17180#17180

The VC-10 was a sixties child so I wonder how many aircraft still had sextant observer ports? ….
.

 

I would hope, with the proliferation of anti-satellite technology going on at the moment, any prudent entity would be training their personnel and equipping their assets with celestial navigation capability.

If they don't, and the shit hits the fan, navigation will once again be done by following roads, rails, rivers etc.

(Note: If your fancy RLG INS shits its pants due to battle damage or a power collapse, drag out your sextant).

 

Just did a quick trawl of the web and it looks like Pan Am didn't start operating the B707 until 1958 (it was the launch customer). So that means that when the Rolex GMT came out (c1954) Pan Am were still using prop driven aircraft such as the Lockheed Constellation, which flew at much slower speeds, and were more likely to have a sextant port or a clear astrodome for celestial navigation. These aircraft would also have carried a specialist navigator as part of the crew. However, it appears that the B707 had a sextant port as well and even early models of the B747 had it. See link to article below and screen shots of the book pages below.
https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2010/may/01/proficient-pilot-(8)





Edit: text highlighted.

 

Not sure about modern fighters ..............Maverick - Please just fly her slow and level a little while longer while I get a fix.....Beeeeeeeeeeeep (sounds like someone got a fix..........:0)
.

 

And "...if you were flying the Concorde..." you'd find some Omega clocks installed in the instrument panel




Images: www.omegawatches.com

 

For those of you who have been following my 'old dog/new tricks' saga, here's an update. I have now logged about 20 student hours in the R22 helicopter. Have I soloed yet? Nope. Will I be soloing soon? Nope. Am I learning to fly this helicopter at an acceptable pace? In my opinion, yes.

For the first dozen or so hours of flying, I had significant doubts about my ability to learn to do this entirely new thing...I kept asking myself whether I was deficient in the amount of natural aptitude needed to get the job done, or whether I was simply too old and inflexible in my thinking (I turn 65 next month). But in these sometimes long and intense conversations with myself, I reminded myself that I have always been a slow learner...of anything and everything that was significantly new and challenging. I also reminded myself that when I do learn something, I eventually learn it very well. So I decided to stick with it until someone else tells me: No.

Somewhere around 15 hours I was able to gain reasonably good control of the R22 down at the tarmac level, which is where this little beast is most difficult to fly...normal procedures such as hovering, turning, and taxiing 5 to 10 feet off the ground. Now I'm able to work on takeoffs and landings, and general airport pattern flying. But I haven't done a pickup or set down yet...I'm close, but my instructor (and myself) would like to see me gain a little more experience and confidence before venturing into the realm of a dreaded potential mishap called the "Dynamic Rollover".

Here are some of my flight tracks from yesterday's pattern portion of my training flight. Yes, my instructor slapped me for cutting a corner on the downwind leg of one of my approaches.

 

@Jones in LA
Thank you for taking us along on your journey. Keep at it. Slow and steady wins the race.

 

All I have are aviator inspired watches…

 

That's cool that you fly. I want to learn someday. The only thing I can say is I have owned Breitlings. Ha

 

Just starting in to the mechanical watch world since my wife bought me the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch this past Christmas; but I have been flying for the past 30+ years, most of it with the Navy. Here is a picture of a recent acquisition here in the desert. I will try to post some more watch action shots from the aircraft.

 

My latest purchase, my 1943 Omega Pilots watch! H.S ^8 3072 denoted on the case back as it was an issued navigators watch in WW2. Some additional info below for those interested! Cheers

 

Great collection. I especially like the Longines and the GMT Master. Super jealous

 

You should give it a go. It's great fun. IMHO the Breitling Navitimer is great watch for if you're flying a light aircraft. The chronograph is great for recording elapsed time between navigation waypoints and the slide rule is useful for quick calculations.

 

Welcome to the world of mechanical watches! That's a nice Seamaster you got there. Didn't realise that model came with a lollipop hand until I got a closer look at yours.
May I ask what aircraft you flew in the Navy? As for me, I used to fly for a hobby about 20 years ago. Just little bug smashers like Piper Cherokees

 

Thanks for sharing this. I found it really interesting reading those documents and finding out what the tolerances were for that watch. This is an area where aviation intersects with military history and horology, so it ticks a lot of boxes for me!

 

You’ll enjoy this article too!
https://www.fratellowatches.com/raf-pilot-omega-ck2292-30t2/

 

Very good, sir…and welcome to OF.

It’s good to see a fellow Nasal Radiator at OF…and looking forward to some watch action shots from the aircraft. I flew SH-60Bs in the fleet in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Pictured below is my beloved Seiko 6309-7049 automatic which I purchased new in 1987 at the NAS Whiting Field NEX while an SNA in VT-2…