Check Six – 1985: Inertial Navigation System (INS) Shop

This mid-1980s photograph shows members of the inertial navigation system (INS) shop. In the photograph are (L-R): Jimmy Williams, Mark Mendez, Darryl Chun Fat, unknown, Edward Sugai, William Takata, unknown, unknown, George Kaneshiro. 

The then 154th Composite Group was flying McDonald Douglas F-4C Phantoms since the 1976 conversion. The Phantoms were a gigantic step up from the Convair F-102 Delta Daggers, especially in the avionics. 

An inertial navigation system (INS) is a navigation device that uses a computer, motion sensors (accelerometers) and rotation sensors (gyroscopes) to continuously calculate by dead reckoning the position, the orientation, and the velocity (direction and speed of movement) of a moving object without the need for external references. Often the inertial sensors are supplemented by a barometric altimeter and occasionally by magnetic sensors (magnetometers) and/or speed measuring devices. INSs are used on mobile robots and on vehicles such as ships, aircraft, submarines, guided missiles, and spacecraft. (Wikipedia)

Thanks to George Kaneshiro for his help identifying those in the photograph.