Survival Kits

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

"I guess once you have been siiting for a night or two on a glacier in
10'000ft in the middle of August, you might re-think that phrase..."

While that is possible, the odds are that the weather will be clear and if
you have any friends searching for you, a signal mirror works for at least
20 miles and possibly more. Even a old cd works as a signal mirror. If you
are flying over glaciers, then some warm clothing would be useful.

The fact is that you can die of expsure or dehydration or starvation in the
middle of summer when you take an automobile trip, but it is less likely
than in the winter.

Colin

Colin,

anywhere during the season we fly over alpine deserts, and when friends
start to search, it is typically after nightfall. Mountains at night don't
ressemble anything connected to the word "summer".

"COLIN LAMB" wrote in message
ink.net...
"I guess once you have been siiting for a night or two on a glacier in
10'000ft in the middle of August, you might re-think that phrase..."

While that is possible, the odds are that the weather will be clear and if
you have any friends searching for you, a signal mirror works for at least
20 miles and possibly more. Even a old cd works as a signal mirror. If
you are flying over glaciers, then some warm clothing would be useful.

The fact is that you can die of expsure or dehydration or starvation in
the middle of summer when you take an automobile trip, but it is less
likely than in the winter.

Colin

wrote:
Survival kits are for pussies.

I've watched enough of Bear Grylls to know that I can survive in any
environment with nothing more than a pocket knife, a water bottle, and
a film crew.

Come on now, you'll probably be in that field less than a day, there's no
need to resort to cannibalism.

--
Michael Ash
Rogue Amoeba Software

"anywhere during the season we fly over alpine deserts, and when friends
start to search, it is typically after nightfall. Mountains at night don't
ressemble anything connected to the word "summer".

I regularly am on the searching end - whether it be the mountains or desert.
We had two different groups die in Oregon this year. Both made the national
news. In both cases, poor decisions were made, which cost lives. In
Oregon hypothermia occurs most often with above freezing temperatures and
precipitation. At least, during most of the soaring season, we do not have
much precipitation where we have to land out. And, while the temperatures
may get to cold at night, the insulation from a parachute will keep the body
heat where it belongs.

The question that I responded to was whether a pilot had died after landing
out. I know of a number of pilots of powered aircraft that have - but no
soaring pilots. At least in Oregon, during the winter there may be days on
end when the mountains are clouded in bad weather and searches are
difficult. That is not the case during most of the soaring season.

As I get older, I take less gear with me (when on the ground) so I can cover
sufficient territory. I bring enough to survive, not be comfortable. I
always carry a metal match with me and a pocket knife - and with that I can
stay warm. I do carry sufficient water and a filtration system. And, if I
would happen to get stuck out in the woods during a critical time, they
would find me when they came to put out the forest fire.

Colin

One survival tool I take is my wooden glider.

Colin

COLIN LAMB wrote:
One survival tool I take is my wooden glider.

Good point. How easy is it to burn fiberglass?

Should make light, heat, and SMOKE -- no?


Jack

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

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

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