Vintage

This is a Douglas Protractor.  I was issued with it in either 1975 (while I was waiting to start flying training, but when there was a delay in the system) or in 1976, at the start of my first course.

It's a 360 degree protractor and parallel rule which we used to measure tracks on a navigation route and very easy it is to use, particularly with instructions printed on the case.  You aligned the main axis with a track on a map such that the centre aperture was on a northing of a map and you read off the track where the northing crossed the perimeter of the protractor.  There are two numbers at each important point and you chose the correct one for the situation – so you estimated the track before using it to check that you had the correct angle.  It was easy to forget to use the 'N' axis correctly, hence the little sticker with 'N' to highlight that axis – see the Extra.

I was not the first "owner" but I've had it for over 45 years and I've been loath to discard it.  So Mrs B suggested that I bequeath it to a grandson: they're very clever little people who just might enjoy the precision of measuring angles, even if they don't equate them with the idea of navigation.

I'll see what they think . . .