I'm sure most are already aware, the "standard" 121.5 / 243 Mhz ELT will no
longer trigger SARSAT / COPAS after 2008. So when we are talking PLB's, they
are 406 MHz and some have built in GPS too. For a comparison, see:

http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/406vs121.pdf

bumper


"COLIN LAMB" wrote in message
ink.net...
Although I fly with an ELT, they are not a guarantee that the aircraft
will be found because of it.

I am a member of a Search and Rescue team and have been involved with the
finding of a number of downed aircraft. The two cases where the ELT
survived the crash was where the crash was next to the airport, and were
not needed.

In the fatal air crashes I have been at, the ELT was destroyed and the
aircraft was only found with old fashioned search techniques. In one
case, the largest piece of the ELT was the size of a quarter.

If you are going to install an ELT, and expect it to survive a crash, it
must be installed so that it will survive, remembering that the antenna,
the feedline and the mounting are all part of the critical installation.

Just as important as the ELT is to let someone know where you are.
Regular communication during a flight with someone to update on your
location and intended flight path can be critical.

The chance of finding someone lost is greatly improved if the searchers
know where to start looking. If they do not have that information, it is
like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Colin