This is the guy who ditched a BE-55 in the Gulf of Mexico last month.

[fholbert]

 

[PGT]

noob question, but how long does it usually take the coast guard to locate downed pilots?

We were told within 2 hours.

If I was flying over water I'd definitely have some water dye, flare, and a handheld. Super cheap insurance.

 

[CirrusMonkey]

I did have a engine failure in a six once. Got plenty of warning as it burst into flames about 3 minutes before it quit. No time for a camera. Did learn 11'500 is too high when you're on fire. The plane was totaled before I landed.
When they weren't shooting video I'll bet they were playing checkers on the ipad too. Me? I'd be looking for shark fins.

And what would you do if you did see shark fins? Swim away fast? I'd use the shark killing iPad app is what I would do.

 

[drunkenbeagle]

If I was flying over water I'd definitely have some water dye, flare, and a handheld. Super cheap insurance.

Dye marker & waterproof handheld, absolutely. In a pinch, the iPad would probably make a decent signal mirror - I would say good thinking to grab it.

 

[HerrGruyere]

It can be incredibly difficult to locate a person in the water...even if you know where to look for them...even on a flat calm day. Searing your eyeballs while looking for hours at a time is no fun. Fairly soon the observers can become myopic and drift into a daze of looking but not seeing. You don't really see the person as you detect something not right. Dye markers may make a diff but still the odds are low.

That's what I figured. Thanks for the clarification, though!

 

[Mark815]

It can be incredibly difficult to locate a person in the water...even if you know where to look for them...even on a flat calm day.

This. When we went to survival systems, that's one thing that the instructors really hammered on.