I have dusted off my Color Country seminar notes after Bill's injection of thought provoking comments pertaining to surviving the "unscheduled landing". Eight years with the local search and rescue team and five years of bliss flying a powered parachute have brought me to a few conclusions that I will share and I hope will be useful.
No one says it better or more often than our own "Wing Man" Don Siravo: PreFlight, PreFlight, Preflight......that is the best place to start. We know the drill but sometimes we have to kick ourselves out of complacency. PreFlight. 1-800-WX BRIEF. Filter your fuel and keep the syphon hose clean. PreFlight. Follow with religious fervor your recommended ROTAX maintenance schedule. PreFlight. Review the chart. Fly with friends. Have a radio and know how to use it, and USE IT! And did I mention preflight?
As Bill has noted, if you are fortunate enough to be a pilot from the mid-west, and that is the only place you fly, then probably all you need is a good cell phone and a couple of Budwiesers after your unscheduled landing. But if you venture off by yourself toward the hinterlands (Bluff? Hanksville? Needles Outpost? WhiskySpoon Ranch?), or some other remote location and you find it enticing to fly something other than IFR (I FOLLOW ROADS) then it may be advisable to give additional thought to the consequences of an unscheduled landing in unfriendly (but beautiful) terrain.
Search and Rescue has given me some insight as to what the incident commander is faced with at the beginning of a search. The first task is gathering information about the lost party. As a pilot flying into remote terrain there are a few things I can do to make the rescue job a little easier. In fact, I want to make it as easy as possible. No, I don't file a flight plan, but I do leave a notice on the windshield of my car along with a photo of my aircraft on the ground with the wing laid out. The photo is valuable because ground teams and participating aircraft will then have a good idea of what they are looking for. The form that I fill out denotes time of departure, expected time of return, general route, speed of the aircraft, description and communication equipment on board, personal information about myself (age, health etc.), passengers, and emergency contact information, etc.
The "Oh Shit" moment: Remember, altitude is your friend....first heard from Frederick Scheffel and will always remain true. First and foremost is to FLY THE AIRCRAFT towards your predetermined landing site. Keep it in sight with "S" turns. If with a buddy, communicate your location and situation. Time permitting try a restart. Turn off all power and electrical and set up into the wind if it is safe to do so.
BANG! Trees? Steep Terrain? Water? Now what..........................
If no injury, evaluate your options (Morning: walk out. Evening: bivouac)
If Injured: commence First Aid. Stay calm. Evaluate your options.
Prepare for rescue. Lay out wing for visibility. Monitor radio. Stay calm. Be patient.
If you are injured and find yourself immobile, take stock of your "Oh Shit Kit" and get comfortable and protect yourself from the environment.
I have two "OH SHIT" kits. A primary kit is in the aircraft at all times. The second kit is on board when flying alone into beautiful but unfriendly terrain. The second kit will support me in an injured and immobile state for an extended period of time (2 to 3 days). The large kit is in a napsack that will allow me to carry the stuff I need if I am able to walk out.
I do most of my "exploring" on AM flights in case there is an unscheduled landing I will have the benefit of extended daylight to walk out. On PM flights I like stay within walking distance of a road.
Most of this discussion has focused on low tech means of enhancing your chances of a timely recovery/rescue. Other high tech (and costly) options which are worth considering if you fly much in remote areas would be a satellite phone, a personal locator beacon, or just replace your 2 cycle engine with a Honda......just kidding on the last one.
Under separate e-mail I will send a copy of my windshield flight info form and an inventory of the two OH SHIT kits. Keep in mind that my kit is unique to where I fly and the conditions I may find myself in. In the winter I fly with wool pack boots which keep my feet warm but are terrible for walking any distance, so I include a pair of hiking boots. If doing your own kit, customize it for where you fly.
Last but not least, practice those power out landings. And I hope you never need any of this stuff.
Over and out,
Perry Kent Pahlmeyer
Captain of the StarChute Enterprise