Fleet spotting supported the battleship's main armament, making these flights prestigious assignments for capable observers and unusual naval pilots. Their mission rewarded navigation, gunnery knowledge, initiative, and the ability to work well beyond the fleet's immediate horizon. Crews sought greater altitude because it let them see ships and aircraft farther away. That ambition prompted experiments with cabin pressurization, although the proposed arrangements apparently never produced a workable sealed cabin.
Chapter · 35:02-39:29
Elite observers pursued higher-altitude warning
The fleet's gunnery mission attracted skilled observers who experimented with altitude, oxygen, and even cabin pressurization to widen their field of view.