SAR Training

Murdoughnut

Murdoughnut

Well sized member
There's a local family offering a $20k reward for any pilot or boater who finds their missing loved one alive after he fell off of his fishing boat yesterday. I'm not going to go up and look for him because I don't feel like I'm adequately trained for such a flight, but it got me wondering ... are there any resources out there to learn S&R flight tactics/procedures that don't involve CAP? I'm sure it's just a matter of flying a grid, but I'd be interested to know if there's any information out there for this type of flying. Not interested in joining CAP, though.
 
Re: S&R Training

but, if you dont join cap, you dont get the sweet flight suite and aviators, which would make any s&r attempt completely hopeless.
 
Re: S&R Training

Murdoughnut said:
... are there any resources out there to learn S&R flight tactics/procedures that don't involve CAP? I'm sure it's just a matter of flying a grid, but I'd be interested to know if there's any information out there for this type of flying. Not interested in joining CAP, though.
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Join the Coast Guard? Didn't hear about this - guess it explains why I heard quite a bit of helo traffic over Pinellas the last 2 days.

Anyway, I don't think there is anything super-special about CAP S&R techniques. Fly a grid with someone looking out the window. CAP doesn't do overwater search anyway, that's the Coast Guard's thing. Most of their training is in a Power Point, but being such a super-secretive government agency - I doubt you could get a copy of it without joining.

Even though my friends make fun of me, I always wear a auto-inflating lifevest on boats.
 
Re: S&R Training

Before this gets locked, what are your thoughts about rewards being offered for Search and Rescue? Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me if it becomes commonplace.
 
Re: S&R Training

Well, other than people bitching about the have and the have nots. (Cant afford a reward) It would seem to me the biggest problem would be having 100 planes all in within 10sq miles of eachother. Seems like you'd have every weekend warrior with infared goggles bought out of the back of mad magazine grabbin at the 20G's
 
Re: S&R Training

cmill said:
Seems like you'd have every weekend warrior with infared goggles bought out of the back of mad magazine grabbin at the 20G's
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Or getting the way of the Coast Guard trying to do their job. I was taught to always guard 121.5 over water anyway, but without a beacon, really not going to help much.

To be able to see anything in the gulf, you need to be pretty low. Generally not a safe idea in light aircraft
 
Re: S&R Training

TallFlyer said:
Just curious, but why don't you want to be involved in CAP?
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I was in CAP for 5 years as a cadet, you're better off not to affiliate your self with the organization on average. Unless you have extreme tolerance for the sheer amount of hoops you have to jump through, look elsewhere. You'll find that the majority of the of the operations are spent on edification of the Meta-CAP, and the actual amount of time spent helping the public is minimal. Cadet programs would be cool, and working with young kids is cool, that being said, you've got to wonder sometimes, "what are you teaching them." Nuf said.
 
Re: S&R Training

drunkenbeagle said:
Before this gets locked, what are your thoughts about rewards being offered for Search and Rescue? Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me if it becomes commonplace.
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I couldn't take a reward for the same reason I wouldn't take a reward for a lost dog. One shouldn't be a decent human for financial gain. I would humbly ask that the person's family cover my flight expenses, though.

As for the "why don't you join CAP" question, the big reason is I don't want to be around the type of people who join CAP (as we've established, it's not all of them - but enough to keep me away).

The other thing is that if I want to go out and search for a missing boater, I don't want to get caught up in red tape. I don't want to have to deal with CAP's mission currency and training requirements, or scheduling, or any of that stuff. I'd like to just be able to hop in my plane and go for a look (albeit with a little bit of training).
 
Re: S&R Training

ppragman said:
I was in CAP for 5 years as a cadet, you're better off not to affiliate your self with the organization on average. Unless you have extreme tolerance for the sheer amount of hoops you have to jump through, look elsewhere. You'll find that the majority of the of the operations are spent on edification of the Meta-CAP, and the actual amount of time spent helping the public is minimal. Cadet programs would be cool, and working with young kids is cool, that being said, you've got to wonder sometimes, "what are you teaching them." Nuf said.
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Wow, you read my mind :)
 
Re: S&R Training

cmill said:
but, if you dont join cap, you dont get the sweet flight suite and aviators, which would make any s&r attempt completely hopeless.
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You don't get them anyway. You have to purchase them, and they are super-expensive.
 
Murdoughnut said:
... are there any resources out there to learn S&R flight tactics/procedures that don't involve CAP? I'm sure it's just a matter of flying a grid, but I'd be interested to know if there's any information out there for this type of flying. Not interested in joining CAP, though.
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There are training manuals we have in the mil for this.

Maybe this could be a new John and Martha King addition to the series....
 
The average Joe doesn't need to be trained in SAR and needs to be kept that way. Leave it to those entities who's resposibility is SAR. If those entities ask for your assistance then lend assistace as required.
 
H46Bubba said:
The average Joe doesn't need to be trained in SAR and needs to be kept that way. Leave it to those entities who's resposibility is SAR. If those entities ask for your assistance then lend assistace and required.
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:clap:
Exactly. Also, you stand little chance if any overwater unless you are below 1000' to find anything. Which would then put you well out of safe glide distance to land. Having flown numerous overwater SARs, any sea state makes it a son of a gun to find anyone.
 
Re: S&R Training

Murdoughnut said:
I'd like to just be able to hop in my plane and go for a look (albeit with a little bit of training).
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Why not just do that now? Doesn't really take any special training, just take someone along with a good pair of binoculars. Call ATC if you see something. You should be looking for traffic, so you really do need someone else to look at the water.

The search area is probably much the practice area for KSPG, KPIE, and KCLW. I doubt you would be the only plane low and over the water there. I was at 500' over there Monday and Tuesdya - didn't see anything (didn't know anyone was missing either)

Asking CFIs to keep an eye out would probably be a better strategy than the reward, since they are flying over there anyway..
 
Re: S&R Training

drunkenbeagle said:
Why not just do that now? Doesn't really take any special training, just take someone along with a good pair of binoculars. Call ATC if you see something. You should be looking for traffic, so you really do need someone else to look at the water.

The search area is probably much the practice area for KSPG, KPIE, and KCLW. I doubt you would be the only plane low and over the water there. I was at 500' over there Monday and Tuesdya - didn't see anything (didn't know anyone was missing either)

Asking CFIs to keep an eye out would probably be a better strategy than the reward, since they are flying over there anyway..
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Yeah, I just imagine most CFIs probably aren't going out any further than they can glide back in - maybe I'm wrong, though.
 
H46Bubba said:
The average Joe doesn't need to be trained in SAR and needs to be kept that way. Leave it to those entities who's resposibility is SAR. If those entities ask for your assistance then lend assistace as required.
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Does that count just for in the air ... or should we also not have civilian sea vessels search for missing boaters too? My brother-in-law has a dog trained to hunt out cadavers. Should he just keep it at home to stay out of the way?

I'm trying to figure out if you're saying don't get involved because 1) you won't find anything; 2) you'll get in the way; or 3) you're missing some key skill that's necessary to be of any use
 
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