Steve Fossett and my use of SPOT communicators

[William Pete Hodges]

Do any of you remember the search for Steve Fossett back in 2007? That search occurred shortly after my wife and I had bought our first airplane and the search really focused my mind on the need for some other type of emergency communication device. At the time 400MHz ELTs and some of these new devices were coming around like SPOT and Spider Tracks, and there were more sophisticated personal emergency beacon devices or EPIRBs. Forgive me for using the wrong terminology or leaving out other options that are clearly also available.

Fossett's plane went missing in September 2007 and it took over a year to find it. When they did find it, it was clear that Fossett had survived the crash and had moved away from the crash site. It became clear to me that another method of keeping track of where you are in the wilderness would have saved his life. So I decided that I should have one of these devices my the airplane and eventually settled on SPOT as my personal emergency communicator.

I am a pilot and I own an airplane and that means I am frugal, or for everybody else in this world CHEAP! I decided to buy a SPOT because it was the least expensive way to get such a device in my airplane and the annual or monthly fee was not too bad to keep up with. Over the years my original SPOT-1 device eventually gave up and I bought a used Spot 3 and put it on my account. It's been about 6 years now and my old Spot 3 is starting to act up. A used Spot 3 or spot 4 is about $50 on ebay. They are similar devices with about the same capabilities. The newer style SPOT-X is also available at about half what a new one would cost. The SPOT-X has the added ability to send and receive custom messages up to 140 characters, and It also has the capability to send a pre-programed OK message, and a pre-programmed help message, just like the SPOT 3 or SPOT 4, but the SPOT X also has 12 additional pre-programmed messages that could also be sent. All of the pre-programmed messages are unlimited in their use at the most basic (cheapest) monthly cost. The SPOT-X is a big improvement over the SPOT 4 or SPOT 3 in the use of pre-programmed messages, and the ability to receive messages and the extra features do not cost anymore on a monthly basis. The basic monthly cost of any of the SPOT devices discussed here are the same.

So how do I use the spot system in my airplane? The SPOT 3 has 2 pre-programmed outgoing messages: an okay message and a help message. My OK message is programmed to say "my tail number and I are OK and leaving the airport or arriving the airport or are30 minutes from my destination." So every time I fly my wife gets an OK message when I take off and then OK message when I land. If I am traveling cross-country and someone is supposed to pick me up at the airport, I send an OK message 30 minutes before I get there so they can plan their pick up route accordingly. My help message says "my tail number and I have been delayed, or diverted, and I an NOT on time." I have only used that message once to tell my wife that I was no longer on course and had to divert for various reasons so she knew that I wasn't going to make my destination on time. This system works and it works pretty well. I have been using it since about 2008 and have successfully coordinated my flights with and family pick ups over 50 times.

I have also used the SPOT tracking feature in the past. Now that i have an ADS B transponder I don't use it as much as before because other methods exist to look at my flights. SPOT drops bread crumbs at regular intervals on a Google map that can be seen on their website by anyone you invite to have a look. That does have some advantages over flight aware where the background map is not as detailed.

Because I need a replacement, and I would like to have the added features the SPOT-X can provide, I just purchased a used SPOT-X on ebay as they come up for sale from time to time. SPOT has assured me that upgrading my account will be no problem and no additional costs. I have been using mine since about 2008 and it give my family peace of mind knowing that I have it. My wife likes to get the messages because she knows I am OK.

It has been 18 years since Steve Fossett went missing. More than a year later the wreckage and his body was found only about 65 miles from his home airport. Evidence found at the scene proves he survived the crash. I am convinced that he would be alive today if he had a SPOT or similar device with him in the plane, that is why I own one. I think you should too. It doesn't have to be a SPOT, it could be something else, but you should have something.

Have FUN! Fly SAFE! Pete.

from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy Tablet
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[murphey]

I carry an ACR PLB. No monthly charge, doesn't depend on a third party.

 

[nauga]

Fossett's plane went missing in September 2007 and it took over a year to find it. When they did find it, it was clear that Fossett had survived the crash and had moved away from the crash site. It became clear to me that another method of keeping track of where you are in the wilderness would have saved his life.

NTSB Final: "The cause of death was determined to be multiple traumatic injuries."
BBC News report: "Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said Fossett would have died on impact, adding that it was not unusual for animals to drag away remains."

Finding the site the day of the crash would not have saved his life. A SPOT tracker, Satphone, PLB, or 406 ELT might have shortened the search considerably, but given that "The ELT was destroyed [sic]" in the crash even those may not have helped given the severity of the crash.

Nauga,
who drops breadcrumbs

 

[Lowflynjack]

It was early speculation that Steve survived the crash, but most experts concluded he died on impact and animals dragged some of his remains from the site. This doesn't change anything about your reasons to carry one though.

 

[William Pete Hodges]

I thought the initial investigation concluded the multipoint seat belt harness was open, and it could not have been opened by an animal, therefore it had to have been opened by Fossett after the crash.

 

[Mikey52]

A bear can open most anything shy of a gun type safe.

 

[Dana]

He may have opened it before succumbing to his injuries.

 

[Supereri]

If you use a newer iphone you have this type of capability built in. They have the ability to send messages via satellite.

Connect to a satellite with your iPhone - Apple Support

With iPhone 14 or later (all models), you can connect your iPhone to a satellite to text emergency services, request roadside assistance, message friends and family, and share your location — all while you're off the grid with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.

support.apple.com

 

[nauga]

He may have opened it before succumbing to his injuries.

The description in the final report of the cockpit damage is thorough and sobering. The front seat buckles (2) were found in "in the vicinity of the cockpit" and unbuckled but the damage to the cockpit is so severe that it's difficult to imagine how one could survive even briefly. The Final (linked above) covers it well, the docket reinforces it with photos of the wreckage.

Nauga,
somber

 

[manac]

I ran a couple of Spots a long time ago. When I put ADSB in the plane I didn’t see the need any more. I was also tired of their yearly price increases. I’ve added a PLB just to let them know if it’s rescue or recovery.

 

[William Pete Hodges]

I ran a couple of Spots a long time ago. When I put ADSB in the plane I didn’t see the need any more. I was also tired of their yearly price increases. I’ve added a PLB just to let them know if it’s rescue or recovery.

I have had that debate with myself several times. One year I called them and complained about the price increases and they cut my rate. It hasn't gone up too much since. Also I like the ability to communicate directly with cell phones using the pre-programed messages. The PLBs I looked at for comparison did not have that capability. When you consider that my cellphone is useless above 1200 AGL it can be a big plus to have it.

For what I do most of the time I won't need the l special message feature. But having it might prove useful in a critical situation. Since the service costs are the same it makes sense to me to upgrade.

 

[WDD]

When I put ADSB in the plane I didn’t see the need any more

This is what I'm thinking of well. The Fossett crash was a while before ADSB was around. Between my cell signal and my ADSB OUT and that I fly in the continental US, I think anyone looking for me in the plane would find me.

 

[CJones]

I have had a Garmin inReach mini for the past 5-6 years. I got it to use for when I go hunting, but have gotten in the habit of tossing it on the glareshield of the plane when flying as well. The inReach allows you to send the pre-programmed messages like the SPOT that you mention, but also allows you to bluetooth to your phone to generate custom messages via their app. I recently found out that the inReach doesn't have a replaceable battery, so it has a definite EoL at some point, but I haven't reached it based on the frequency that I use it.

 

[Bill]

Have an inreach mini for motorcycle riding and flying. Had a friend hit a deer on his bike, badly injured, in a remote area of Virginia with no cell service. Luckily the guy he was riding with had a Spot.

 

[Dana]

On Android phones (I assume iPhones have something similar) you can enable "location sharing", which displays your location on the phone of the person you're sharing with. I do a fair amount of off trail hiking, and I share my location with my wife while I'm out.

My plane has neither ADSB (no electrical system) nor ELT (single seat), so I should probably use location sharing then as well. Most often I have cell service at the altitudes I fly.

 

[William Pete Hodges]

On Android phones (I assume iPhones have something similar) you can enable "location sharing", which displays your location on the phone of the person you're sharing with. I do a fair amount of off trail hiking, and I share my location with my wife while I'm out.

My plane has neither ADSB (no electrical system) nor ELT (single seat), so I should probably use location sharing then as well. Most often I have cell service at the altitudes I fly.

If I understand this correctly, your cell phone uses the cell tower network to send that location information out to other phones. If your cell tower network is out of reach, then you are too.

Addition: the SPOT and InReach devices talk to the directly to the satellite network, which in turn interfaces to the internet and cell tower networks on the ground. As long as you have a clear view of the sky you will have communication to the outside world.

 

[Dana]

If I understand this correctly, your cell phone uses the cell tower network to send that location information out to other phones. If your cell tower network is out of reach, then you are too.

Correct, it will then display the last reported position... which hopefully is close to the crash site.

But in a remote area it probably isn't the best solution.

 

[William Pete Hodges]

Correct, it will then display the last reported position... which hopefully is close to the crash site.

But in a remote area it probably isn't the best solution.

Airplanes often fly over very remote areas between airports. If I fly from Fredericksburg VA to Pittsburg, there is a whole lot of remote areas between the two.

 

[172andyou]

Airplanes often fly over very remote areas between airports. If I fly from Fredericksburg VA to Pittsburg, there is a whole lot of remote areas between the two.

Yeah, anyplace that has coverage is likely also to have someone notice when you crash. The non-coverage areas are the part to solve.

 

[Dana]

Yeah, anyplace that has coverage is likely also to have someone notice when you crash. The non-coverage areas are the part to solve.

Not necessarily. Here in the northeast, there are many heavily forested areas with few people but good cell coverage. But yes, if there's no cell coverage then it won't work.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

NTSB Final: "The cause of death was determined to be multiple traumatic injuries."
BBC News report: "Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said Fossett would have died on impact, adding that it was not unusual for animals to drag away remains."

Finding the site the day of the crash would not have saved his life. A SPOT tracker, Satphone, PLB, or 406 ELT might have shortened the search considerably, but given that "The ELT was destroyed [sic]" in the crash even those may not have helped given the severity of the crash.

Nauga,
who drops breadcrumbs

Yeah, that is what I remembered - He likely died on impact and then was someone's lunch.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Yeah, anyplace that has coverage is likely also to have someone notice when you crash. The non-coverage areas are the part to solve.

I wouldn't count on it. The BIL of one of my wife's friends was recently killed in a single car accident - Went off of a busy interchange in Chicago. It took several days to find him even though his cell phone pinged at the accident site before it died, and probably over a million people drove past before they found him.

 

[ateamer]

Yeah, anyplace that has coverage is likely also to have someone notice when you crash. The non-coverage areas are the part to solve.

There are plenty of places with four or five bars of cell service where an atom bomb could go off and no one will be close enough to hear it.

 

[William Pete Hodges]

My SPOT-X arrived this weekend. The upgrade in my account was seamless once I figured how to do it. There is an OK message that hasn't changed. There are 14 added predefined messages that I had to program from scratch. That took awhile because I had to do it twice to get it right. Once that was done and uploaded to the website, these updates had to be synced to the SPOT-X with a device updater program. It was a free download and worked pretty well. I have tested it a few times and am getting used to the thing and how it works. I bought a RAM mount for it from Amazon for $12. I think I have a good location picked out for it in the cockpit. It fits easily in my pocket if the antenna sticks out of the edge. I have tested an a predefined message, a custom message and reply, and an OK message. All are good.

The predefined messages do have one drawback: You have to select who will receive them from a list. That is an extra step, but the messages are already typed. They are also cumbersome to edit and load to get them to appear in the order you want. On my screen now, when I open the predefined messages the first one (NOT on time. Delayed or diverting) is ready to send. If I push the down button 1 time my next message (On Time, On course, 30 minutes from destination) is ready to send. Once the message is selected, I have to pick who receives it, then send it. It comes through as a text message on the recipient's phone or email. Once the recipient receives a message they can reply to it, and it will appear in the screen as a new message to read.

Two way communication directly to anyone you choose from anywhere. I think I am going to like this.

 

[EvilEagle]

Good call!

I use an inReach and love it for all kinds of off-the-grid adventures. I can't count the times that it's been handy to have even if they weren't emergency situations.

 

[Brad W]

I researched this topic maybe 5-10 years ago... things have likely changed a bit here and there, and my memory might have skewed a point or two as well.
what I recall...

the satellite options would be on one of two networks. the networks weren't equal in terms of coverage in remote parts of the world
they offer the advantage of two-way communication... so assuming you are able, it can be helpful to communicate your needs, etc..
and of course, they give all the non-emergency communication benefits
and a major negative can be the need for a clear view of the sky.... not so good under thick trees.... on the side of a cliff or in a deep and steep valley, etc...

The PLB doesn't give the two-way communication but gives the NDB signal which gets them to you once they are close. It sends a constant signal (in case you are moving, etc...). Also the signal can be received by others such as random aircraft or boats nearby...not just the call center that you subscribe to.
It's the better choice as I recall, if you want to be found asap. The better choice if your only concern is the emergency location aspect.
You can for example get to a clearing to ping the satellite, then move to a shelter to hunker down till they get to you....and they'll still be able to find you even though you are no longer in the clearing

edit: I look forward to comments bringing me up to date on all of this!

 

[William Pete Hodges]

I researched this topic maybe 5-10 years ago... things have likely changed a bit here and there, and my memory might have skewed a point or two as well.
what I recall...

the satellite options would be on one of two networks. the networks weren't equal in terms of coverage in remote parts of the world
they offer the advantage of two-way communication... so assuming you are able, it can be helpful to communicate your needs, etc..
and of course, they give all the non-emergency communication benefits
and a major negative can be the need for a clear view of the sky.... not so good under thick trees.... on the side of a cliff or in a deep and steep valley, etc...

The PLB doesn't give the two-way communication but gives the NDB signal which gets them to you once they are close. It sends a constant signal (in case you are moving, etc...). Also the signal can be received by others such as random aircraft or boats nearby...not just the call center that you subscribe to.
It's the better choice as I recall, if you want to be found asap. The better choice if your only concern is the emergency location aspect.
You can for example get to a clearing to ping the satellite, then move to a shelter to hunker down till they get to you....and they'll still be able to find you even though you are no longer in the clearing

edit: I look forward to comments bringing me up to date on all of this!

Brad,

I get the impression that these things haven't changed that much lately, since the release of devices like the SPOT-X and InReach. My device has the latest software and that is over 5 years old. I also have it pinging to Leidos flight service but I don't know for sure if that is a real benefit or not, considering I now have ADS-B in my plane. To me the two way communication to anyone, so long as you set it up beforehand, is a big plus. I have used it to coordinate ground transport on several occasions. It could also be used to relate more details after an unscheduled stop so you can keep loved ones or rescuers infomed.

Everything is a compromise. This one seems to work well for me now. But that might not be for someone else.

 

[William Pete Hodges]

This link is to my SPOT 7-day shared map page.

https://maps.findmespot.com/s/4G57

I have been testing the SPOT-X since Tuesday when I drove my wife to Baltimore and back. I left the until in track mode until the battery died, 56 hours later. The battery is supposed to last 240 hours according to SPOT, but I think that is optimistic. Maybe 180 would be more realistic. The battery is still weak.

The shared page defaults to 7 days, but 1 month, 1 hour or 24 hours is also available on the same page. I am going to test it more to see if anything else needs attention. Chris Short at Short Tronics can service this unit, make repairs, and can replace the battery for a new one. A few years ago he did a great job on my GPS496 that was acting up.

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

Does the satellite based 406mhz ELT and iPhone satellite texting fill in for those of us without PLB, SPOT, etc?

 

[rwellner98]

Does the satellite based 406mhz ELT and iPhone satellite texting fill in for those of us without PLB, SPOT, etc?

406ELT + 406PLB + iphone is a decent combination for SAR.

InReach is a great addition for non-SAR. Easily worth the cost, IMO. I really like the breadcrumbs for reliving trips and the messaging for getting weather and checking in with family.

 

[Dana]

InReach is a great addition for non-SAR. Easily worth the cost, IMO. I really like the breadcrumbs for reliving trips

OT, but I've been recording a GPS log of my flights with a phone app. I can run them into an analysis app I wrote, or into Google Earth if I want to visualize it. I tend to be lackadaisical about writing my flights in my logbook (or even looking at the clock when I takeoff and land, no Hobbs), so once in awhile I look at the GPS logs and writing them into the logbook.

 

[Wagondriver]

With Starlink it appears that a phones might make inreach and the like obsolete. When my inreach craps out I'll look into it further. I carry an Inreach mini, today I flew about 35 mile into the wilderness to go look for wolves, never heard another airplane on 22.9.