Long cross country go bags over/through the rockies.

I've posted this population density map before. It helps the city-bound folks understand that there are plenty of places where you can go down and wait a long time for help if you don't have a 406 ELT. A PLB is fine if you're able to actuate it after you crash. Don't count on that.

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The full map, if you want to see more detail: https://external-preview.redd.it/Hg...bp&s=dfa6087f2225e0f072b9a43f2b035ab5563438a1

Look at Canada, then understand why the government demands survival equipment. Flying to Alaska, even along the highways, has plenty of possibilities for trouble. Weather is a big one.
 
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Rgbeard said:
Or reconsider the route and fly down to Phoenix/ El Paso and not cross the highest of the Rockies?

avoidance is often a winning strategy.
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If the weather drives him to the southern route, by all means, take it.

But there is no need to fly mountain passes and cross inhospitable terrain going via I-40/I-25.
 
The other nuisance you will have is after deciding what you want in that bag, how does it get to the West Coast where you pick up the plane. If you ship it some way, probably less so. But bringing it on a commercial plane, whether checked in, or I’m envisioning a larger problem, if carried on. In any event, I would not want someone going through my carefully packed emergency bag and removing things they thought were risky without my knowledge. I have no idea what happens to shipping flares or incendiary materials by any method. You could assemble some of the items near your departure airport.
 
If you really want a backcountry survival kit, consider a vest with all the minimum basic survival stuff crammed in the pockets. Like they used to beat into our heads back when I was doing that sort of stuff for a living, "if it ain't in your pocket, or around your neck when you go down, don't count on it being there when you need it."
 
I haven’t, and hope to never have to, use it; but I’ve a jacket over the back of the right seat with a survival kit (including SmartStraw and fire starters), first aid (including sutures and tampons (effective to staunch bleeding from lacerations and puncture wounds that don’t enter an artery)), down bag, human sized orange contractor bag, stuffed in the sleeves. I or the pax can easily grab it on way out. Who wants to be rummaging around in the cargo for the emergency bag?
 
sourdough44 said:
Go around most of the mountains, not over.
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thats What I did this year. Last two years went to 3u2 Johnson creek Idaho. The first year we went over top of many but I wasn’t solo I was on the wing of a seasoned old salt- but reguardless of his experience it was a set of eyes to know my exact gps coordinates if something happened.

this year met friends there but had to fly on my own. I followed the valleys in from the south... there were much fewer times I didn’t have options and the views were still spectacular- was much nicer knowing single plane I could glide to a road or farm field or decent landing option almost the entire trip.
 
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Dan Thomas said:
I've posted this before. It helps the city-bound folks understand that there are plenty of places where you can go down and wait a long time for help if you don't have a 406 ELT. A PLB is fine if you're able to actuate it after you crash. Don't count on that.
Look at Canada, then understand why the government demands survival equipment. Flying to Alaska, even along the highways, has plenty of possibilities for trouble. Weather is a big one.
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I assume this is cell coverage map? Looks like maybe a old 4G data map, this is current ATT:
2c89e76e414073bf52930652b2c9e27b.jpg


Of course there’s occasional dead spots in valleys where signal can be blocked as the fine print says, coverage is not guaranteed and is outdoor only.
Your best bet, fly IFR (I follow roads).
 
What are the maps showing, other than “coverage”. Different cell systems?

A PLB can be activated before a crash, but so can a 406 elt. The signals are still received by satellites, so reception is pretty universal.
 
bflynn said:
What are the maps showing, other than “coverage”. Different cell systems?

A PLB can be activated before a crash, but so can a 406 elt. The signals are still received by satellites, so reception is pretty universal.
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Well, so can an old 121.5 ELT when you are still at an altitude where it would be received by more people. Has anyone actually heard of a case where any type ELT was activated before a crash?
 
Matthew Rogers said:
Well, so can an old 121.5 ELT when you are still at an altitude where it would be received by more people. Has anyone actually heard of a case where any type ELT was activated before a crash?
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In the boating world they are manually activated but can be activated if submerged.

I would add “activate plb” to my emergency checklist.

I think you would remember to do it if the plb was in sight, I would add a mount of some sort that would hold the it.


Tom
 
MooneyDriver78 said:
I assume this is cell coverage map? Looks like maybe a old 4G data map, this is current ATT:
2c89e76e414073bf52930652b2c9e27b.jpg


Of course there’s occasional dead spots in valleys where signal can be blocked as the fine print says, coverage is not guaranteed and is outdoor only.
Your best bet, fly IFR (I follow roads).
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No, that was a population density map. I should have said that. It has little to do with cell coverage. It shows how some areas are so sparsely settled.
 
Matthew Rogers said:
Well, so can an old 121.5 ELT when you are still at an altitude where it would be received by more people. Has anyone actually heard of a case where any type ELT was activated before a crash?
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If you're know you're going to (involuntarily) land off airport, you should activate it before you land. If you're in once piece afterward you can make the decision to turn it off again. Even if everything is good and you didn't have something bad happen on landing like sticking your gear in a gopher hole or hitting a bolder hidden in the brush, you still might need rescue.

A 121.5 ELT is a prayer. You have to depend on someone else listening and reporting what they hear and since 95+% of 121.5 ELTs are false alarms, a lot of people have quit monitoring for them. There's a few GA pilots, CAP and professional flight crews. Of those, the professional crew is most likely to hear your signal, but they'll also have a huge range - being so high up, they can't narrow it down beyond a couple of hundred miles.
 
Matthew Rogers said:
... hike out ...
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Almost never a good idea. Stay with the airplane. I have been through the week-long AF Inland SAR school and the data is clear. The problem is trying to figure out which way the victim might have headed, compounded by the fact that the victim is a tiny thing in a big, big world and very hard to spot. The airplane is a lot easier to find and in most cases can provide shelter. Fuel, oil, and tire rubber can also provide a very smoky fire to aid in someone spotting you.
 
Unfortunately, the airplane in question turned out to not fit my needs. So, at least at this point, no trip. But, I got some great feedack. I'll make the flask a Glen Fidditch 15.
 
Scott MacKie said:
Unfortunately, the airplane in question turned out to not fit my needs. So, at least at this point, no trip. But, I got some great feedack...
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We're all lining up for a refund. ;)
 
In the Rockies, allways fly IFR, “I Follow Roads”. I always carry 2-3 military 3 in compression dressings. Any fire equipment & supply store has them or on line. Rarely needed to go above 12.5’ for any length of time. Flt following is cheap insurance you will be found. And if wind is > 15-20 kts at your alt or elev, don't go in a C-120.
 
Keep looking, @Scott MacKie! The right plane is out there somewhere.

And when it's time to fly it home, PoA will always be here to over-advise about the trip! :)
 
When I did my cross the Rockies twice trip, I packed enough stuff to make a camp and not have to look for water or food for a week. It was just me and I had 100's of pounds of useful load - might as well use it.
 
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