Airplane cockpit get it significant revolution because digital technology. At the beginning birth of airplane, airplane only depends on pilot’s eyes. At that moment, airplane still in low speed and fly at low high so pilot determine check point to certain objects on the earth like mountain, island, train rail, etc. Of course, airplanes have to operate at daylight.

When first airplane fly, it only control stick in the cockpit. Step by step, there ar instrument in cockpit. First instrument is machine instrument that is RPM and Oil Pressure. Beside of that, there are Air Speed, Aircraft Compass, and watch that used by pilot to dead reckoning navigation. At end 1920’s Artificial Horizon settled.

 Aviation business rapidly increase after World War I, causing airplane have to able fly in the night. Slowly but sure avionic in cockpit growth and have standardization at 1930’s. Commercial airplane and aviation technology became more complex. Pilot and co-pilot task became more heavy, o there are job separation, and then born navigator, radio operator, and flight engineer.

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For example, DC-3 Dakota Airplane need five crew in cockpit, that are Pilot, Co-pilot, Navigator, Radio Operator, and Flight Engineer. Navigator has task to direct airplane to the direction place. Specific jobs that done like calculate wind speed and direction, ground speed, flying direction, and check point.

If you look sharper, there is dome on Dakota cockpit, called as astrodome. It used by navigator to see stars position, shoot with sextant, and calculate airplane position with table, seems like sailor.

Radio Operator (RO) handles Morse, communication equipment between airplane and ground. Why Morse? Because at that time voice communication is impossible because big distortion and unbalance radio wave. RO can be navigator for near distance.

Flight Engineer (FE) is answer because the complexness of piston machine. FE monitor machine condition, fuel flow, temperature, RPM (Rotation Per Minute), etc.

Electronic technology growth at 1950’s and 1960’s, first profession that gone was navigator because RADAR Applied and navigation tools like Omega. Radio Controller gone because radio communication done by pilot. While FE needed because complexness operation of jet machine like Boeing B707.