Survival is not about how long you can stay lost, it's about how soon you can be rescued. With water submersion, time is of essence. To be rescued, you must be found now!
"They flew over me several times. I don't understand why they did'nt see me."
We have all heard the after rescue stories. The one comment that I find most pervelant in these stories is, "They flew right over me several times. The survivors seem so fixed on this statement. "How could they not have seen me"?
As a side window scanner for Coast Guard C-130 aircraft, I made it a point to search for every person in the water (PIW) as if I were searching for myself. If I were the one out there, I would want the persons searching for me to do the very best they can.
In order for a CG C-130 Scanner to become qualified, he or she must complete a sylabus for pre-flights, post-flights, fueling, servicing the aircraft, and standardized search procedures. When searching for PIWs, they are trained to scan parallel to the trailing edge of the wing, out to the wing tip, then back in (aprox 1 mile). They are also trained to scan by keeping their eyes moving. This procedure is used in conjunction with the tracking pattern entered into the aircraft's NAV system. The wingtip rule ensures a one mile search range for the Scanner while the aircraft is set at two mile tracking. This means that the Scanner searches one mile out from the aircraft and when the aircraft turns to do the reverse tracking, he scans the remaining mile. In essence, the two mile track is divided and searched twice. The Scanner is not trained to directly spot a PIW so much as he is trained to spot an unusual occurance via peripheral vison. In other words, we all know that it is nearly impossible for a person in a aircraft moving at around 150 knots to actually see a PIW with no signals. The repeated survivor stories tell us that. A live PIW will be head up and feet down. The only thing visible from the air is the PIW's head. By keeping your eyes moving in an up and down motion (aircraft to wing-tip) the PIW will only be spotted by the unusual occurance ( a change of seeing just gray water with occassional white caps) via peripheral vison. This scan method helps to relax the brain and lessens fatigue. If you tried to stare at the water, you become fatigued within minutes. Usually when a Coast Guard C-130 does a known search, they will place an extra Scanner on board to help rotate positions. With three Scanners, you can do a rotation every hour with a break between shifts. My longest search took place off of Sitka Alaska where we searched for a downed aircraft for 30 hours within 3 days. Ten hours a days searching for debris in the water, shoreline, and mountains with no results.
As a PIW, you have to make an unusual occurance happen in order to be spotted. If a scanner's peripheral vison passes over an orange object, or a color different from the usual gray, it sounds an alarm in the scanners head (that was different). Now he goes back to see again, but It's too late, it's gone. It's now up to the scanner to make his report. "Pilot -Aft, I think I just spotted something at three oclock". "It looked orange and I only saw it for a second or so". The navagator will automatically lock on to the position and they will turn to intercept that position to do a low level search. Now let's complicate that with flying in Alaska. Most have seen the TV series, "Deadly Catch". Notice what color those buoys are that they are throwing overboard. Yep, international orange. Now take that fishing area (entire Alaska area) and search for a PIW there. After seeing hundreds of small orange buoys floating in the gray water it becomes an even greater challange.
To become a water survivor you must change normalcy, you have to attract the scanners peripheral vision on the first pass. If I were an Alaska fisherman, I would consider changing my signaling colors. Maybe a floresent green from a sea dye maker, or a bright green hat or signaling cloth while keeping in mind that the scanner will spot change of scenery and color before he spots you. Waving your arms above your head (while in the water) does about as much good as yelling at the aircraft. Instead, change the scerery by throwing as much water straight up as you can. The spray from the water will catch ultra-violet light and each water drop will cause a prism that reflects light simular to that of a signal mirror.
The ideal survival plan would be to have the quickest rescue possible. The EPIRB or PLB will launch rescue to your search area within hours, maybe minutes, and anything that you can use as a (catch the scanner's eye) signaling device, such as a signal mirror, flare, bright colored flag, lifevest bladder, or liferaft works to your advantage. Carry signals on your person when flying or going offshore. Again, what you have on you when you go into the water is what you will have with you to survive.
The AST Overwater Survival Kit was designed to provide three functions.
- Because it can be worn while flying the aircraft, it allows you to have it with you after egress.
- It is loaded with signaling devices such as the large silver and orange space blanket, sea dye marker, signal mirror, pelican flashlight, high intensity strobe light, 12 hr. chemical light stick, and whistle. Add a PLB for the ideal survival plan.
- It sustains life with water, sun protection, and peace of mind that your signals will assist with a fast rescue.
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Why 406 MHz Beacons Are Better than 121.5 Beacons
Hopefully by now most Airmen, Sailors, and outdoorsmen have some knowledge of this fairly new satellite technology.
So what exactly is a 406 MHz Beacon? Simply put, It’s a life-line! It connects you directly to your rescuers. You turn it on, and within seconds it relays who you are, your a/c number, phone number, what type of vessel you are in, what survival equipment you have on board, and your precise LAT/Long position. See article; "After The Plunge" in Downwind Magazine.
New technology has replaced the technology available during my Coast Guard career. When we searched for a 121.5 signal, we usually picked up the whirl sound made from an EPIRB on our aircraft radios at about 15-20 miles from scene. The Coast Guard C-130 had a direction finder (DF) that locked on to the 121.5 signal and the plane literally flew itself to the source of the signal.
As we know, the 121.5 EPIRB became the toy of many false alarms by pranksters and caused millions of dollars of Coast Guard resources. There was no way to identify the user or the validity of the case. I can’t tell you how many long hours I spent within my twenty-three years looking for false alarms!
When the 406 MHz EPIRB came about, it was designed to be registered to a user. The registration requires you to enter your name, and home phone number When a signal is received, the Command Center will call your entered phone number to inquire on the signal prior to launching. If no one answers, they launch. If someone answers the phone, they can obtain the information needed to start the search or to cancel. Many of the calls are canceled due to accidental turn-on during testing. This call not only saves you many tax dollars, but it can also save valuable battery time on your PLB or EPIRB.
Soon after the 406 MHz technology came about, the FCC mandated that the power on the 121.5 EPIRBs be reduced from 75 milliwatts to 25 milliwatts. This reduction of power was brought about because of the “Whirl” sound that I mentioned earlier. The “Whirl” bled over on the other channels and became very distracting during a rescue. I suppose another reason would be that they no longer needed that much power since the satellites no longer tracked them.
The U.S. Coast Guard is currently outfitting their aircraft, ships, and small boats with the new and advanced 406 DF equipment. The 406 MHz is much stronger and clearer than the previous 121.5 signal, and in fact, a 406 DF outfitted Coast Guard aircraft flying at 24,000 feet can now pick up and lock on to the signal from your 406 EPIRB or PLB from as far as 150 miles away!
Along with this technology, 406 DF towers are being positioned around the U.S. coastline to assist in close up cases since 90 percent of the EPIRB cases happen within 20 miles of shoreline.
Personal Locater Beacons (PLBs) and EPIRBs are continually getting smaller and better. The prices have now dropped below $300.00 for a 406 MHz PLB with GPS and they are getting smaller and smaller. You can now place a 406 MHz PLB in your jacket pocket or on your lifevest without even knowing it’s there. Why would you NOT carry this life-saving tool?
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Is your Personal Locater Beacon an Active or Passive Signal?
There are two types of signals, Active and Passive. An active signal is one that you have to operate, such as aiming a signal mirror or firing a aerial flare. In either case you have to actively use your hands and attention to operate it.
A passive signal is one that you deploy, then leave it alone, allowing you to use your hands and attention elsewhere. An EPIRB once activated is a passive signal. You turn it on and let it float while attached to you or your liferaft.
So here's the question. Is a PLB an active or passive signal? I say on land it is a passive signal, but in the water, it becomes an active signal. Well wait you say, my PLB floats!
Here is what you need to know about floating PLBs.
Although a PLB may be designed to float, it does not mean that it will stay upright, or that the antenna will stay above the waterline. Why is this important? Because the PLB will not transmit a full signal as long as the antenna is submersed in water! By submersing the antenna (no matter how deep), it cuts the signal transmission enough that it probably will not reach the satellite. If you think that a floating PLB is going to stay upright, and the antenna is going to stay dry with waves crashing over it, you are sadly mistaken.
So let's get the PLB up and out of the water. You have a choice, either you can hold it up in the air, making it an active signal, or you can attach it to a high point (up and out of the water) on your person.
The U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crews have attached a piece of Velcro to the top side of their helmets where they stick the PLB.
Since you probably don't use a helmet, you can attach a piece of pile (soft side) Velcro w/adhesive to an area on your lifevest bladder. To do this, you must open the lifevest casing, exposing the bladder. Place a 2x2 piece of pile Velcro (soft side) in the area close to where your head comes out (see picture). Then add the "hook side" (coarse side) of the Velcro to the back of the PLB.
Most PLBs come with a attachment line w/ a small halyard type clip on the end. This attachment line (See Picture) should be used as a "back-up" in case the PLB comes loose from the Velcro in a heavy sea state. Note: I have jumped from a diving board several times with the smaller McMurdo FastFind 210 PLB on Velcro and it did not come off.
By placing the PLB in this location, it becomes a passive signal, allowing you to use both hands for other functions, and because of the PLB placement, you can keep an eye on it as well.
There is only one way to ensure that you have a PLB to attach to a lifevest. By wearing a lifevest with a PLB attached. I see many pilots that keep the PLB in a separate place. This only causes you to grab one more item prior to egress. If the PLB is already attached to your lifevest, and you are wearing the lifevest, you will have both hands free for the egress and the lifevest and PLB will be there for your survival. Once you find yourself in the water, inflate the lifevest, pull the PLB out, activate it, and place it on the Velcro on the bladder, then attach the back-up line to the vest. You now have a passive PLB signal, allowing you to use both hands to perform other signaling functions such as using a signal mirror to vector searchers to you.
Aviation Survival Technologies sells a 5"x5"x 1.5" Deluxe Lifevest Signal Kit with the McMurdo FastFind 210 (406MHz) PLB with all components for attachment it to a inflatable lifevest bladder.
Click here for more info.
