Paul 5r4
Well Known Member
Sorry about the length of the post!
Hey fellow VAFers,
Because I feel this is an important post, I?ve been working on it for a few days.
A bit of history regarding this post. Recently I?ve watched several videos where regular people unexpectedly find themselves in situations that ended up potentially life threatening. After watching several of these videos, I?ve noticed there were some common denominators. One is in each case they?ve unintentionally found themselves in these situations and finally reached a point in their struggles way to early on that they have zero options left. As pilots we should be prepared, having at least thought about the what?s and hows after a successful forced landing. As pilots, we always need to have plan B and never have the thought of ?there is nothing left I can do.?
Naturally as pilots we most often think of the aviation side of flying. I looked at my checklist and online at some others. That?s were the checklist ran out. They all do a fantastic job of getting everything configured to give us the best chance of survival in the event of that hopefully never to happen off airport landing?. Hmmmm, off airport landing. Almost makes it sound like something that?s routine. In the real world and in the heart of hearts of most pilots, I think we still call it a crash. I don?t know? maybe that?s politically incorrect now days. Take note though that is where the checklist ends. I hadn?t given much thought regarding survival in the event of hours or days until help arrives. I did have a little survival kit but didn?t know how to use half the stuff in there. All of this left me thinking despite having the little kit, I didn?t have a survival plan, not even a little one.
Things like being lost in a desert, jungle, mountains or lost at sea. All of this had me thinking about myself and the flying I do. I?ve never flown into mountains over a jungle or desert. With that thought I found it unlikely that I could ever end up in a situation as the people I?ve referred to. With that said, I have found that on cross countries, I?ve often looked down only to find very large areas of forest sprawling out for many miles in every direction. If I lost it and ended up crashing in the trees I have concluded that even then, helping hands may be a long ways/time away. For that reason I?ve put together what I feel to be a decent survival plan and kit.
Important thoughts to consider. The most important things that could make or break your chances for survival and at the very least, provide some level of comfort while waiting for help.
1. Water
2. A form of nutritional support
3. Shelter (dry)
4. Heat/warmth/fire
5. Some way to communicate
In each of the videos I watched, most of the victims left out 3 or 4 of these items. Each one survived but their ordeal was unimaginably miserable! Had they covered the essentials in the list above most would have ended up with not much more than a good story to tell.
Now lets assume for the purposes of this discussion that you?ve survived an unexpected landing in the middle of you're not so sure where and the last road or sign of people was maybe 25 miles back. You know you didn?t file a flight plan and you weren?t using flight following. Because of the stress of the moments preceding the crash, you can?t remember if you even made a mayday call and now wonder if the ELT is doing it?s job. If you made the call and the ELT is working well that?s all just a little more icing on our cake. However, don?t assume all is well and folks are mobilizing to discuss a way to find and haul your butt out of the this mess. This is where the forethought and planning might help save the bacon. Hopefully your not injured. Personally if I?m like the scare crow with ?My liver?s over there and my legs are over here!? and I find I can now use the splintered end of my femur as a toothpick?. think I?ll just close my eyes and start praying. Thankfully you?ve made it through with just a few knocks and dings and only your pride ends up in the toilet. Back to the list.
Hey fellow VAFers,
Because I feel this is an important post, I?ve been working on it for a few days.
A bit of history regarding this post. Recently I?ve watched several videos where regular people unexpectedly find themselves in situations that ended up potentially life threatening. After watching several of these videos, I?ve noticed there were some common denominators. One is in each case they?ve unintentionally found themselves in these situations and finally reached a point in their struggles way to early on that they have zero options left. As pilots we should be prepared, having at least thought about the what?s and hows after a successful forced landing. As pilots, we always need to have plan B and never have the thought of ?there is nothing left I can do.?
Naturally as pilots we most often think of the aviation side of flying. I looked at my checklist and online at some others. That?s were the checklist ran out. They all do a fantastic job of getting everything configured to give us the best chance of survival in the event of that hopefully never to happen off airport landing?. Hmmmm, off airport landing. Almost makes it sound like something that?s routine. In the real world and in the heart of hearts of most pilots, I think we still call it a crash. I don?t know? maybe that?s politically incorrect now days. Take note though that is where the checklist ends. I hadn?t given much thought regarding survival in the event of hours or days until help arrives. I did have a little survival kit but didn?t know how to use half the stuff in there. All of this left me thinking despite having the little kit, I didn?t have a survival plan, not even a little one.
Things like being lost in a desert, jungle, mountains or lost at sea. All of this had me thinking about myself and the flying I do. I?ve never flown into mountains over a jungle or desert. With that thought I found it unlikely that I could ever end up in a situation as the people I?ve referred to. With that said, I have found that on cross countries, I?ve often looked down only to find very large areas of forest sprawling out for many miles in every direction. If I lost it and ended up crashing in the trees I have concluded that even then, helping hands may be a long ways/time away. For that reason I?ve put together what I feel to be a decent survival plan and kit.
Important thoughts to consider. The most important things that could make or break your chances for survival and at the very least, provide some level of comfort while waiting for help.
1. Water
2. A form of nutritional support
3. Shelter (dry)
4. Heat/warmth/fire
5. Some way to communicate
In each of the videos I watched, most of the victims left out 3 or 4 of these items. Each one survived but their ordeal was unimaginably miserable! Had they covered the essentials in the list above most would have ended up with not much more than a good story to tell.
Now lets assume for the purposes of this discussion that you?ve survived an unexpected landing in the middle of you're not so sure where and the last road or sign of people was maybe 25 miles back. You know you didn?t file a flight plan and you weren?t using flight following. Because of the stress of the moments preceding the crash, you can?t remember if you even made a mayday call and now wonder if the ELT is doing it?s job. If you made the call and the ELT is working well that?s all just a little more icing on our cake. However, don?t assume all is well and folks are mobilizing to discuss a way to find and haul your butt out of the this mess. This is where the forethought and planning might help save the bacon. Hopefully your not injured. Personally if I?m like the scare crow with ?My liver?s over there and my legs are over here!? and I find I can now use the splintered end of my femur as a toothpick?. think I?ll just close my eyes and start praying. Thankfully you?ve made it through with just a few knocks and dings and only your pride ends up in the toilet. Back to the list.