Pylon turn
Encyclopedia
A pylon turn is a flight maneuver in which an aircraft banks into a circular turn, in such a way that an imaginary line perpendicular to aircraft's axis points to a fixed point on the ground. The maneuver originated early in the 20th century in air racing
.
, where courses were set up with pylon
s to mark a location on the ground, and the planes would have to turn around at that point before returning to the airstrip. Pylons are also used in triples to set up a triangular circuit for aviation races -- races in which all competitors must stay outside of the three pylons.
, a Christian
missionary
who had served in World War II
as a pilot
for the United States Air Force
, used a bucket on a line to give gifts to the Huaorani
people of Ecuador
. He would circle a spot near the village in such a way that the bucket would remain stationary on the ground, and devised a mechanism allowing him to release the bucket. Some of these gifts included an aluminum kettle and machete
s, and after the third flight they began calling out friendly messages in the Huao language. The Huaorani responded by tying their own gifts to the line and building platforms to make the exchanges easier. Saint was later speared to death along with the four other missionaries who had been working with him. The attack appears to have been a surprise, and it is thought that it began as a seemingly friendly meeting. Some mail services have used the same technique to deliver mail where there are no available landing strips.
in 1964, with the development of the AC-47 Spooky
gunship
, which could fire minigun
s mounted on the left side of the aircraft as the pilot circled the target. Later, the more advanced Lockheed AC-130
was used in the same way. Using this maneuver allowed pilots to continuously and efficiently fire at a stationary target for an extended period of time, without needing to make several passes. Another huge advantage of pylon turns was that the gunfire was accurate enough to be used even in close proximity to friendly troops, which had never before been possible in air power. Also, similar method is used by attack helicopters, which armament shoots frontward. In this case, the helicopter flies sideways, turning in same directions. This method improves the shooting accuracy, increasing hit chance.
Air racing
- History :The first ever air race was held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1908. The participants piloted the only 4 airships in the U.S. around a course located at Forest Park...
.
Racing
The pylon turn was originally used in air racingAir racing
- History :The first ever air race was held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1908. The participants piloted the only 4 airships in the U.S. around a course located at Forest Park...
, where courses were set up with pylon
Pylon (disambiguation)
-Structures:* Aircraft pylon, a vertical structure used to mount external equipment such as engines and weapons externally on an aircraft* Pylon , the gateway to the inner part of an Ancient Egyptian temple or Christian cathedral...
s to mark a location on the ground, and the planes would have to turn around at that point before returning to the airstrip. Pylons are also used in triples to set up a triangular circuit for aviation races -- races in which all competitors must stay outside of the three pylons.
Delivery
This maneuver can be used to deliver messages or packages by plane without needing to land. In 1955, Nate SaintNate Saint
Nathanael "Nate" Saint was an evangelical Christian missionary pilot to Ecuador who, along with four others, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Waodani people through efforts known as Operation Auca....
, a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
who had served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as a pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
for the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, used a bucket on a line to give gifts to the Huaorani
Huaorani
The Huaorani, Waorani or Waodani, also known as the Waos, are native Amerindians from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador who have marked differences from other ethnic groups from Ecuador. The alternate name Auca is a pejorative exonym used by the neighboring Quechua Indians, and commonly adopted by...
people of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. He would circle a spot near the village in such a way that the bucket would remain stationary on the ground, and devised a mechanism allowing him to release the bucket. Some of these gifts included an aluminum kettle and machete
Machete
The machete is a large cleaver-like cutting tool. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the English language, an equivalent term is matchet, though it is less commonly known...
s, and after the third flight they began calling out friendly messages in the Huao language. The Huaorani responded by tying their own gifts to the line and building platforms to make the exchanges easier. Saint was later speared to death along with the four other missionaries who had been working with him. The attack appears to have been a surprise, and it is thought that it began as a seemingly friendly meeting. Some mail services have used the same technique to deliver mail where there are no available landing strips.
Combat use
The first notable combat use of the pylon turn was in the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in 1964, with the development of the AC-47 Spooky
AC-47 Spooky
The Douglas AC-47 Spooky was the first in a series of gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War...
gunship
Gunship
The term "gunship" is used in several contexts, all sharing the general idea of a light craft armed with heavy guns.-In Navy:In the Navy, the term originally appeared in the mid-19th century as a less-common synonym for gunboat.-In military aviation:...
, which could fire minigun
Minigun
The Minigun is a 7.62 mm, multi-barrel heavy machine gun with a high rate of fire , employing Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external power source...
s mounted on the left side of the aircraft as the pilot circled the target. Later, the more advanced Lockheed AC-130
Lockheed AC-130
The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily-armed ground-attack aircraft variant of the C-130 Hercules transport plane. The basic airframe is manufactured by Lockheed, while Boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support...
was used in the same way. Using this maneuver allowed pilots to continuously and efficiently fire at a stationary target for an extended period of time, without needing to make several passes. Another huge advantage of pylon turns was that the gunfire was accurate enough to be used even in close proximity to friendly troops, which had never before been possible in air power. Also, similar method is used by attack helicopters, which armament shoots frontward. In this case, the helicopter flies sideways, turning in same directions. This method improves the shooting accuracy, increasing hit chance.
See also
- PylonPylon (disambiguation)-Structures:* Aircraft pylon, a vertical structure used to mount external equipment such as engines and weapons externally on an aircraft* Pylon , the gateway to the inner part of an Ancient Egyptian temple or Christian cathedral...
- Eights on pylonsEights on pylonsEights on Pylons or Pylon Eights, is a ground reference maneuver where an aircraft isflown in a figure eight pattern around two selected points on the ground .However, Eights on...
, an aerial maneuver - Nate SaintNate SaintNathanael "Nate" Saint was an evangelical Christian missionary pilot to Ecuador who, along with four others, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Waodani people through efforts known as Operation Auca....
- GunshipGunshipThe term "gunship" is used in several contexts, all sharing the general idea of a light craft armed with heavy guns.-In Navy:In the Navy, the term originally appeared in the mid-19th century as a less-common synonym for gunboat.-In military aviation:...
, the category of military aircraft that employ this maneuver