Good old times: PLA Thames Pilots at Work

Many people wonder how ships made it across entire oceans without getting lost in the seventeenth century. Aaron introduces seventeenth century navigation to us today by beginning with piloting.

This documentary made in 1959 in the popular Look at Life series is from Volume 5 - Cultural History and takes a journey along the River Thames passing several famous buildings and monuments such as - County Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Shell Mex House which has the biggest clock face in London. Cleopatra's Needle, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Port of London Authority, Prospect of London Pub, Port of London Docks.

Location: England Various shots following a river pilot. He is seen disembarking from one boat and climbing up a rope ladder onto a large ship. Various shots of another river pilot, dressed in a cap, woollen jumper and sea faring jacket. He is seen at the wheel of his boat. Various shots of two river police pilots on the River Thames in London. They are filmed in the cab and on the deck of their boat. They pull up alongside some riverboat houses and talk to a woman who owns one of the them....

When a vessel navigates in confined waters, such as in a harbour or narrow channel, it is well known among experienced pilots that the ship handling is greatly affected by the hydrodynamic forces and moments acting between ship and bank or sidewall of the channel.

The European Union proposed making so-called pilot services exempt from sanctions targeting the transfer of Russian oil that are set to kick in this year to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

AURIGA Group on Friday announced it had appointed the first female pilot in its business, as well as the first female leader of a reef pilotage business.

For 174 years, the San Francisco Bar Pilots have been safely navigating the world’s largest ships through some of North America’s most challenging waterways.

Commander Roberto Bunicci, chief pilot of the Port of Ravenna's Pilots' Guild and already Vice President in office, is the new President of the Italian Federation of Port Pilots.

Good insight into the work of the pilots in Jamaica.

Goodchild ORC 171 Pilot Boat "Ouse" recently delivered to Associated British Ports (Humber)