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This 1937 article from Life magazine entitled “To Fly Transport Plane – You operate 145 instruments,” describes the instrument panel of a DC-3, and reports that, “The pilot of a modern transport airplane flies by instruments. Within his expert reach are 145 dials, levers and switches necessary to guide these mammoth craft safely across the U.S. On these two pages you see the panel board of one of American Airlines’ Douglas DC-3s, 21-passenger ships. The picture shows 96 instruments. The other 49 gadgets are above the windshield or behind and to the sides of the pilot seats. The dials depict in figures every movement of the plane. The levers, pedals and switches control motors, ailerons, elevators, stabilizers and rudder. The pilots use 130 instruments during each flight, 15 in emergencies only. To be a transport pilot takes at least six years’ training.” See a full size photo on our Facebook!
This image was posted on March 18, 2016.
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