Survival Kits

COLIN LAMB wrote:
"Just out of curiousity...has any pilot died of exposure after landing out?"

Yes - many. That answer is in response to the word "pilots". As to
sailplane pilots, I am not sure. Sailplane pilots tend not to fly during
inclement weather in the middle of winter, so the odds improve.

Colin

I heard about a case in the alps where a crashed glider pilot was not
found by a search an rescue team because he left his glider. I think he
was frozen to death.

Andreas

On Mar 2, 7:07 am, Andreas Alin
wrote:
COLIN LAMB wrote:
"Just out of curiousity...has any pilot died of exposure after landing out?"

Yes - many. That answer is in response to the word "pilots". As to
sailplane pilots, I am not sure. Sailplane pilots tend not to fly during
inclement weather in the middle of winter, so the odds improve.
Colin

I heard about a case in the alps where a crashed glider pilot was not
found by a search an rescue team because he left his glider. I think he
was frozen to death.

Andreas

We had a landout in mid April last year that almost killed the pilot
due to hypothermia. You can read and learn about it he

http://www.abqsoaring.org/news/Towlines_06_05.pdf
http://www.abqsoaring.org/news/Towlines_06_06.pdf

Hypothermia is most likely your biggest enemy, even in the summer,
since it can still get pretty cold at night, especially at high
altitudes and in desert environments.

Markus

In article 1172843931.833696.14060@j27g200

We had a landout in mid April last year that almost killed the pilot
due to hypothermia. You can read and learn about it he

http://www.abqsoaring.org/news/Towlines_06_05.pdf
http://www.abqsoaring.org/news/Towlines_06_06.pdf

Hypothermia is most likely your biggest enemy, even in the summer,
since it can still get pretty cold at night, especially at high
altitudes and in desert environments.

Markus

Some years ago I joined an expedition to Aosta in the Italian Alps. The
local guy told us that each glider had a survival pack containing a
space blanket, a mirror and a torch (flashlight). No food, because
"you will be dead of cold before you starve!"

He advised pulling the parachute and using it for extra insulation if
you were stuck on a mountain.
--
Mike Lindsay

For some other ideas, Google "Aviators Survival Vest".

Bill Daniels

"ContestID67" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am a big believer in having some form of survival kit in my glider.
Even in the "wilds" of the midwest I can get stuck outside for a while
before being "rescued". I am always on the lookout for items to add
to my kit which I have built up over time. Whistles, fire starters,
signal mirrors, space blankets, etc.

There was a small sidebar article in today's Chicago Tribune that
caught my eye about a company that makes compact survival kits
intended for the car, etc. One small one in particular seems like a
nice thing to have and I thought that I would pass it on. Enjoy.

http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/... NO=0140-0707

Dear American Friends,

You chaps just dont get it! The British Empire established itself on the =
fine tradition of the Pub! Any sensible glider pilot lands near one, is =
well fortified with the local food and nectar, and is then rescued by =
their crew, who then partake of the local treats after a good retrieve. =
Shame you chaps went native, never mind.

Regards,

Trev
--- Original Message -----=20


From: Glider Pilot Network=20
To: Trev Cook=20
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 7:10 AM
Subject: [r.a.s] Survival Kits



-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
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Newsgroup: rec.aviation.soaring
Subject: Survival Kits
Author: Pete Brown
Date/Time: 07:00 02 March 2007

-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
" What you are wearing and the gear stuffed in your pockets=20
is your survival gear. What you left in the back of the=20
plane is your camping gear."

The Alaska version of this saying was developed by the=20
search teams that arrived at numerous crash sites where=20
there wasn't much useful left after impact in power planes=20
If you have to bail out of a glider in the western US, its=20
probably just as true.

http://www.silverparachutes.com/wst_page12.html

I have a medium SMAK from Silver Parachutes on my chute. I=20
threw out the strobe and stuffed in a space blanket, a=20
mosquito head net (mighty nice up here, you might want to=20
substitute a power bar), and extra matches.


Pete
Anchorage

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akmtnsoaring/





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--

It's not going native...we drink beer, too (sometimes we resort to
English beer).

In the U.S., it's a matter of Real Estate! Location, location,
location. Which if you keep track of yours, and keep a crew informed
of it, you shouldn't experience hypothermia, or vitamin Beer
deficiencies.

I did hear a story of a lost glider pilot whose skeleton was found in
a very narrow crevice near Tehachapi. So "landout" glider pilots have
perished.

I carry the SMAK Pak on my chute, and leave additonal goodies in the
glider. I'm waiting for Camelbak to come out with a hydration system
that includes a certified parachute, a solar still, survival gear and
a satellite dish.

I like the advice and stories. The Boy Scout Motto is "Be
Prepared." Sometimes I tell folks that it's really an inverse Murphy-
ism: If you ARE prepared, you won't need the emergency gear (e.g.,
parachute, space blanket, condom -- apologies to the ladies). But
thus far, that's how my luck has held up. And I'll wear my parachute
whether it's a talisman or a booster cushion for my vertically
challenged frame. I don't think the glider can tell the difference.

The ELT in my glider isn't for me: it's for my wife and kids!!! And
for that reason, I keep fresh batteries in it...

My most memorable landout? I landed on the runway next to Cherry
Patch Ranch, in Nevada. For those that don't know it, Cherry Patch
Ranch advertises itself as the closest (legal) bordello to the city of
Las Vegas. Took my crew a while to find a hole in the fence to get
the trailer to the glider (at least that's what he SAID). When I
fessed up and told my wife of my "adventure," she asked me: "Did you
get one of the ladies to sign your logbook?" (I kid you not). Bless
the lass...and I am blessed with her.

Even if I wasn't an Eagle Scout, I'd end my post with "Be Prepared."
Cheap insurance. This is a good thread...thank you to all who've
posted.

-Pete
#309.

Trev Cook wrote:
Shame you chaps went native, never mind.

Regards,

Trev

309 wrote: "I did hear a story of a lost glider pilot whose skeleton
was found in a very narrow crevice near Tehachapi. So "landout"
glider pilots have perished."

Just to clarify -- this story probably was about the paraglider pilot
who was last seen flying normally near the launch site in 2003. His
remains were found over 20 months later by some hikers. I have not
read the coroner's report on this tragedy nor have I heard anything
definitive on the cause. I personally flew my paraglider over this
site many times at low altitude after his disappearance and never saw
him - and I was looking! Apparently, his body and gear were hidden by
the scrub brush common in the area. I have read that this location was
"isolated" but it actually is near a very active an populated area.
The exact location was a steep and extreme hillside but it was very
close to a very active state highway.
Steve

In article , Trev Cook REMOVE_TO_RE
writes
Dear American Friends,

You chaps just dont get it! The British Empire established itself on the =
fine tradition of the Pub! Any sensible glider pilot lands near one, is =
well fortified with the local food and nectar, and is then rescued by =
their crew, who then partake of the local treats after a good retrieve. =
Shame you chaps went native, never mind.

Regards,

Trev
--- Original Message -----=20


Yebbut, there ARE places in the UK that are miles and miles from any
pub.

Like the middle of Dartmoor or the Cairngorms.


--
Mike Lindsay