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Got a message from one of my friends. They were in clear air 2000 feet above terrain, not icing and got caught in the down draft from hell which was like something grabbed a hold of the airplane and threw it into the mountain.
Got a message from one of my friends. They were in clear air 2000 feet above terrain, not icing and got caught in the down draft from hell which was like something grabbed a hold of the airplane and threw it into the mountain.
Been there, scary ****! Had it happen in the PA12 and in the 180. Both times I got to the edge of it within 500' of the ground. The 180 ride started off at 10K and went all the way to under 1k.
I know its hot in the summer and lot of people like to fly in shorts and flip flops. Remember 1 rule summer or winter, wear what you plan on crashing in. Good hiking boots in the summer might be a little warm on the feet in the plane, but they will be a god send in the event that you find yourself on the side of a mountain will all your "survival" gear scattered from hell to high water. The inreach is in my pocket as part of the preflight routine. I keep it in the seat back when I am not in the plane. Too many times people have gotten into trouble because they were not dressed properly to be spending time outside when their gear was scattered, burned or sunk.
Talked to Jim last night. Still in Hospital. Supposed to be released today. They were at 12500 clear air over a layer. 2000 AGL. Happily having a nice flight after a great trip. Sad to miss Valdeze. It hit them suddenly. Violent turbulence and down draft. He thinks he was inverted at one point. Didn't have much control of their destiny. Just before impact he was able to raise the nose and hit tail first to pancake it into deep snow. This bent the tail and opened the cargo compartment and the wind blew away most of their gear. They were near a fisher and afraid to try and retrieve anything. The inReach was in Fred's pocket. It snowed another 3 feet with sleet while they waited. They had a little food and water and a tent to wrap themselves in. That was about it. Can't say enough good about the Alaska ANG. I was in the NY ANG for 23 years. Best part time job there is.+
My Next item to purchase/fill. Care to list whats in yours ?
I keep a waterproof bag either beside me or behind the passenger seat. I either wear the vest or have it laying beside me or behind the passenger seat.
Photo 1 shows:
1. Waterproof bag holding:
a. Solar panel to keep devices charged.
b. Metal drinking cup for drinking, eating soup and boiling water in an open fire.
c. Signal mirror
d. The bag is large enough to hold my survival vest if needed (I put the vest in the bag when I fly over large bodies of water).
Photos 2 through 4 show:
2. Survival Vest holding:
a. Waterproof matches to start a fire.
b. Tube with cotton balls (saturated with Vaseline) to start a fire.
c. Rain poncho to stay dry.
d. Green tea bags.
e. Chicken bullion
f. Coffee filter to filter dirty water.
g. A rope to build a shelter.
h. A radio to call for help.
i. An emergency locator beacon to call for help.
j. Water purifying tablets to make drinking water.
k. A first aid kit in case of injury.
l. Sunscreen to protect from the sun.
m. A Mosquito net to protect from Mosquitos and to use as a fishing net in a stream.
n. A string saw to cut firewood.
o. A knife to cut things up, including wood to start a fire.
p. A space blanket to stay warm or build a shelter.
q. My cell phone will be used to call for help and as a flashlight.
r. Spare glasses in case mine brake during the crash.
I think the single most important item is the vest itself. It holds all the different items and can be worn during flight. If I must leave the aircraft in a hurry, I have everything with me to survive, communicate and treat injuries.
The signal mirror, radio, emergency locator and the cell phone increase chances of rescue. All the other items increase chances of survival.
I believe the most important thing is to be able to get as much out of the airplane as quick as possible. Then you can turn around to see if the airplane is on fire.
This may duplicate some of what Juergen carries in his vest, but here is what we had in our Navy survival vests, including some optional things I carried: