Soaring magazine

in article , E. A. Grens at
wrote on 2003/11/12 20:32:


Anyone who walks into any region should be able to
find his way out....

Let's keep it OT "Soaring", shall we?

Does your comment apply to people who fly in, too? And will you request CAP
and other rescue agencies ignore your missing aircraft should you land out?

You really should be able to handle it yourself, after all -- and if not,
we're all hoping that at least you won't have brought any matches along.



Jack

Let's keep it OT "Soaring", shall we?

Does your comment apply to people who fly in, too? And will you request
CAP
and other rescue agencies ignore your missing aircraft should you land
out?

You really should be able to handle it yourself, after all -- and if not,
we're all hoping that at least you won't have brought any matches along.



Jack

The thread was OT before I entered. But, to relate to soaring, what this
hunter did was equivalent to making a land-out into a playground filled with
children to avoid taking your chances with the adjacent trees. He didn't
give a damn who he killed as long as he was safe.

Ed

in article , E. A. Grens at
wrote on 2003/11/13 22:11:

...what this hunter did was equivalent to making a land-out
into a playground filled with children to avoid taking your
chances with the adjacent trees.

The fire ravaged people of Southern CA have our sympathies.

Can we move on now to constructive dialogue concernig the plight of the
stranded, but environmentally conscientious glider pilot?

What are your suggestions for overcast daylight signalling that do not
involve fire? No doubt some of us would like to ad a trick or two to our
repertoir.



Jack

Jack wrote:
...
What are your suggestions for overcast daylight signalling that do not
involve fire? No doubt some of us would like to ad a trick or two to our
repertoir.
...

In boats, according to the French regulation, it is mandatory to have on
board some devices that generates a very visible orange smoke when fired.
If you feel concerned you can buy one of this things and carry it in your
glider. But maybe the regulation for aircrafts prohibit carrying such
flamable devices.

What are your suggestions for overcast daylight signalling that do not
involve fire? No doubt some of us would like to ad a trick or two to our
repertoir.
Jack

If the pilot in the article had been seriously injured, he not only
would not have been able to walk out but quite likely he could easily
have died prior to anyone finding him. The same ability to contact
someone for arranging crew retreival from some remote landout can
also make the difference between life and death in a serious crash.
It is a great idea to carry an ELT, and an even better idea to have
one with voice capability. But it is a misconception to believe that
the ELT signal itself will guarantee a speedy rescue. The satelites
will probably pick up the signal and (some) airliners do monitor
121.5, however it quite probably will be the next day before the CAP
starts any concerted search and rescue efforts. Getting those rescue
efforts started immediately may be much more critical.

Being able to actually talk with someone increases your chances of
a speedy retreive or rescue emensly. Which is why I reccomend the
following for anyone who flies gliders away from the vicinity of
their own airport.

Backup hand held radio (with charged batteries)
GPS (even cheap ones are fine for at least being able to give your
exact coordinates)
Cell phone (if you have one always take it)
ELT (preferably with voice capability)
Land out kit (with water, food, blanket, matches, good signal mirror,
flashlight, strobe light, bug repellent, first aid, etc.

One other item no one has ever mentioned.
12 feet of antennae cable with bnc connectors and a rubber ducky
antennae. If your radio remains operational after an accident but
the antennae cable is broken and unrepairable. Most newer radios
have a bnc connection on the back of the radio. You can unplug the
A/C antennae and plug your spare cable and rubber ducky in for
transmitting. I would also reccomend knowing the enroute ATC
frequency for your area. Airliners fly at high altitude, which
fortunately means it would be unusual to not be able to contact
another pilot for help.

M Eiler