I fly extensively at night over water as part of my job. With the boredom up there, I started to express an interest in celestial navigation which became a desire to obtain my FAA flight navigator certificate.

I have done some research in Part 63 on ways to obtain this certificate. Obviously, this regulation pertaining to flight navigator is old. It requires to undergo an approved course and there are no flight navigator course that I am aware of.

I spoke to an FAA examiner who informed me there are only 21 FAA flight navigators in the country. The only thing I can think of is to have a flight navigator mentoring me.

Does anyone have any idea if there is a course available?
Does anyone know a current flight navigator who could help me or point me in the right direction?
Any thoughts?

 

I would be interested in this info as well. Thanks for any thoughts/insight.

 

The AF still trains Navs--at Randolph AFB, I think. Someone on this board may be able to put you in touch with one of the Nav instructors there. I doubt if they are certified by the FAA as Navs, but one/some of them might be.

Also, if the FAA no longer has a course for air navigation, you could propose using the AF class, taught to you by an AF instructor, as an acceptable method of FAA certification. They might buy off on it because it would be a lot easier for them than developing their own course.

Good luck.

WW

 

@WW - Very good. Thank you. I will do some more research on that.

In the meantime, any AF folks willing to point me in the right direction?

 

I'm impressed that the AF still does it...the navy dropped their advanced C-nav training several years. Instead they acquired software to crunch the numbers, so all you have to do is use the sextant to determine the object's angle and let the computer do the rest.

 

Do Ships sitll do Cel Nav? I hated that crap in NROTC.

 

I think they are still supposed to know how to use the sextant, but all the math is done by the computer now. I don't go to sea much, but I did see sextants as recently as last year.

 

From my understanding yes. It is a basic skill required.

I was reading an article about Steve Fossett and a United pilot flying a 1919 Vimy aircraft across the pond with just a compass, sextant and driftmeter. I just find this fascinating to be able to arrive precisely to your destination after 2000nm or so. Nothing more boring than flying GPS.

I guess this is how the preflight briefing went:

A pilot was sitting in his seat and pulled out a .38 revolver. He placed it on top of the instrument panel, then asked the navigator, "Do you know what I use this for?" The nav replied timidly, "No, what's it for?"
The pilot responded, "I use this on navigators who get me lost!"
The navigator proceeded to pull out a .45 and place it on his chart table.
The pilot asked, "What's that for?"
"To be honest sir," the navigator replied, "I'll know we're lost before you will."

 

What aircraft is still flying (for civilians) that you could take a decent star shot from? I don't see a practical use for pursuing the rating unless you want to collect ratings - which a lot of guys do I suppose.

It's great to learn everything you can about cel-nav and I know what you mean about keeping the 'ole brain engaged between class II waypoints. My only question would be "do I really need the rating"?

 

This will always be the argument and it's totally valid. I do not need this certificate but it will certainly bring a level of satisfaction to be able to meet those standards. I, personally, am fascinated by navigation. Not just celestial navigation but grid navigation and pressure pattern navigation. Call me a nerd