Fossett Search
To All:
I'm not involved with the SAR effort, other than hoping for a good
outcome, but I get a lot of mail, much of it from overseas and the
same questions keep popping up.
Where is the 'Flying M Ranch'?
Actually, there's quite a few of them. The one of interest here is
about twenty miles due west of the southern tip of Walker Lake.
That's about 40 air-miles south of the Yarrington airport; about 80
miles SE from Minden.
What was Mr. Fossett's destination?
I don't know. Previous land-speed runs have used dry lakes about a
hundred miles north of the Flying M ranch.
People in Europe often asked how an aircraft can vanish unless covered
by water or snow. There's no pat answer for that. Until they have
some search & rescue experience over that part of Nevada most people
simply have no concept of the problem. I've seen a Beechcraft
'Bonanza' crumpled into a ball you could fit into a pick-up truck. It
lay undiscovered for seven years within a thousand feet of a paved
road until exposed by a brush-fire that burned away the manzanita that
had concealed it from view.
Some of the questions stemmed from my articles on survival and desert
travel. I've re-posted them to my blog for those who are interested.
After ten days although logic my deem otherwise I say keep looking.
Never give up hope.
-R.S.Hoover
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