An historical review of airborne gravity

Abstract

Measuring the earth’s gravitational field may not have occurred to our prehistoric ancestors when they dropped rocks on their toes, but it has certainly intrigued generations of scientists in subsequent centuries. Successful construction of instruments to measure this effect has always relied on trial and error, and the broken toes of previous efforts. The ability to take these measurements from a moving platform such as an aircraft has required, over 40 years, government/educational/private funds and personnel along with the always optimistic attitude that it could be done.