Off-airport survival instructions

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asicer

Touchdown! Greaser!
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asicer
In my flight bag I have a few rudimentary emergency items and I tell my pax that in the event of an emergency off-airport landing to grab that bag first. I was thinking that it would probably be a good idea to write up and laminate a card with tips and instructions on what do with it in case I am, uh, unavailable. A few things I was thinking about putting down:
  • Useful things in the bag
  • Stay with the plane
  • How to check/activate the ELT
  • How to operate the handheld radio
  • How to use the GATTS jar to get avgas for starting a fire
  • Delay eating food if the water supply is limited
  • How to use the signaling mirror
  • How to pull strands from the paracord
  • If you need to walk out, follow a river/creek downstream
Any other ideas?
 
A marching band; and maybe a Ford Explorer? Two tickets to the ice capades, condoms, and a jar of mayo?
 
All good, but the number one emphasis should be on water IMO. Shelter, food, and rescue are all great, but without water.....
 
asicer said:
In my flight bag I have a few rudimentary emergency items and I tell my pax that in the event of an emergency off-airport landing to grab that bag first. I was thinking that it would probably be a good idea to write up and laminate a card with tips and instructions on what do with it in case I am, uh, unavailable. A few things I was thinking about putting down:
  • Useful things in the bag
  • Stay with the plane
  • How to check/activate the ELT
  • How to operate the handheld radio
  • How to use the GATTS jar to get avgas for starting a fire
  • Delay eating food if the water supply is limited
  • How to use the signaling mirror
  • How to pull strands from the paracord
  • If you need to walk out, follow a river/creek downstream
Any other ideas?
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A portable PLB in that bag would increase your chances of rescue and shorten the time a lot
 
It really depends entirely where you are flying. Good start if over rugged terrain and/or far from habitation. Overkill if following a major interstate in the flatlands.
 
Most of what you list is in a basic survival manual. It's probably a good idea to add a page on plane-specific stuff-ELT, PLB, fuel drain....
 
Clip4 said:
A portable PLB in that bag would increase your chances of rescue and shorten the time a lot
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From what I understand, the first thing they do when they get a PLB activation is call the emergency contacts listed on your registration. The problem is that none of my friends/family won't answer because of robocalls.
 
The ideas above are good: A PLB and a basic survival and first aid manual. Some comments I've heard about PLBs - make sure it's ON you in-flight. If you really do crash vs a controlled off-field landing, that PLB stuffed inside your flight bag might be well out of your reach and if you can't activate it then it isn't going to do you any good.

But if you are really flying in areas where you would need to survive for multiple days, then you probably would want to stock up on a lot more than just a how-to manual.
 
If you're getting in my plane you've already been told to dress for the weather if something goes wrong. I also wear a vest that has basic survival items and includes a PLB that my passenger/s know how to operate, we have an InReach, the plane has a 406ELT, and if I'm flying in the mountains/desert/heavy forest I have a satellite phone. My plan is to get notification and SAR out as quickly as possible, not needing to go full wilderness living. But if I'm flying in those areas, it's generally for camping so I have most of that gear in the plane anyways.
 
asicer said:
From what I understand, the first thing they do when they get a PLB activation is call the emergency contacts listed on your registration. The problem is that none of my friends/family won't answer because of robocalls.
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Then they likely wont answer the door for the death notification either.
 
asicer said:
From what I understand, the first thing they do when they get a PLB activation is call the emergency contacts listed on your registration. The problem is that none of my friends/family won't answer because of robocalls.
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LOL! its okay, they follow a script and leave a voice mail.
 
All you'll need right here in a concise list -

- One forty-five caliber automatic
- Two boxes of ammunition
- Four days' concentrated emergency rations
- One drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine,
vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills
- One miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible
- One hundred dollars in rubles
- One hundred dollars in gold
- Nine packs of chewing gum
- One issue of prophylactics
- Three lipsticks
- Three pair of nylon stockings.
 
flhrci said:
https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/march/pilot/ownership-50-dollar-hero
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OK, guys. I feel there's a disconnect here. This is *NOT* a post on gear to put in the bag. The question is how to instruct pax on how to use the stuff already in the bag in the event I'm not around and decide not to haunt them in the afterlife.

Sure, you could argue that I should instruct them beforehand but I'm pretty sure post-crash they'll be saying something like "I heard there's a BLT but I'm not hungry yet."
 
asicer said:
OK, guys. I feel there's a disconnect here. This is *NOT* a post on gear to put in the bag. The question is how to instruct pax on how to use the stuff already in the bag in the event I'm not around and decide not to haunt them in the afterlife.

Sure, you could argue that I should instruct them beforehand but I'm pretty sure post-crash they'll be saying something like "I heard there's a BLT but I'm not hungry yet."
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I discuss emergency procedures with pax during the pre-flight briefing, and that includes "bend over and kiss your *ss goodbye". :)

In reality, I handout a pre-flight briefing that covers this, that I got either here or from AOPA, but I do not have it handy. Maybe someone else can post it or something like it.
 
asicer said:
OK, guys. I feel there's a disconnect here. This is *NOT* a post on gear to put in the bag.
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Me sorry. Thought it was a timely magazine article. In my defense, it was POA thread drift time. LOL
 
asicer said:
OK, guys. I feel there's a disconnect here. This is *NOT* a post on gear to put in the bag. The question is how to instruct pax on how to use the stuff already in the bag in the event I'm not around and decide not to haunt them in the afterlife.

Sure, you could argue that I should instruct them beforehand but I'm pretty sure post-crash they'll be saying something like "I heard there's a BLT but I'm not hungry yet."
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Well, some of it you've already covered: Make them aware the bag exists, make them aware of the need to retrieve said bag from the smoldering wreckage.

After that, maybe a laminated sheet with a reference to each item inside the bag and instructions (and pictures) of how and when to use those items. One the other hand, a survival guidebook and first aid book (and kit) will already have a lot of that info in it, too.

Why not have a class and go through it all for real, too? ELT testing is allowed, and handheld radios can be used for radio checks but you might not want to actually xmit on 121.5 using the phrase "mayday, mayday, mayday".
 
Hunker down, stay with the plane, and communicate. If you've never been AOG for a few days unexpectedly? Ask somebody who has. What did they have? What did they wish they had? Get a communicator that allows you to contact who you want and tell them what your situation is. Once that's done? Stay warm, stay dry, stay hydrated, and consume some calories. Be prepared that one or all of the occupants may be injured so factor that into you imaginary exercise. Most of the time the biggest enemy is boredom.
 
ohhhh. we were serious . . .buy one of the military survival manuals, throw in instructions on operating the ELT. That should do it.

Maybe discount that stuff about better/more prep for "rugged" terrain - yeah, the Badlands are tough. So are the Rockies. But your airplane is small, it's hard to see, especially after rolling it up in a ball, and there are plenty of stretches in the East, around urban centers, or the flatlands where it can take days to find you. I helped search for a crash (the ELT was destroyed) - took a week, and it was found close to a major county road, within site of a significant town.
 
Just add a note about using google if they have any questions...
 
ircphoenix said:
#1... Be on flight following.

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
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You'll get dropped when you most need it. Radar coverage is spotty in high mountains.

An IFR flight plan is better, but not always feasible.

ALWAYS make sure someone on the ground knows where you are, where you are going, the route you are taking, and when you are expected to check in. There have been a couple of miraculous saves we've had that simply wouldn't have worked with a delay in notification.

Especially the guy who crashed on Mt. Whitney. He survived one freezing night (in the SUMMER -- don't assume warm weather) and did everything right, and was found and rescued shortly after first light.

Also don't assume you will be uninjured, especially if flying over hostile terrain. You will not be able to get a survival kit out of the back seat with broken ribs.
 
MAKG1 said:
Also don't assume you will be uninjured, especially if flying over hostile terrain.
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Eh? I am assuming that I am dead. The question was what should I write for the surviving passengers to read when they rummage through my emergency kit.
 
asicer said:
Eh? I am assuming that I am dead. The question was what should I write for the surviving passengers to read when they rummage through my emergency kit.
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A military survival guide ought to cover almost everything. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Your passengers are likely to be injured as well.
 
Did you know you can shoot a bear with a flare gun and it won't kill him but it will cling to his fur and scare the **** out of him. Also did you know you can shoot flares in a shotgun.
 
Flares against a real bear? Show me! This thread had merit but now it's gone silly.
 
Anthony said:
An MP-40, spare mags.........
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Too big. In an accident, if it's not attached to you, it's probably not going with you.

My M-9 with spare mags fit nicely on the outside of my vest. ;)
 
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