There is a lot of discussion over the safety of airplanes and airlines, but it is just as important to take the proper precautions when piloting a helicopter. Much like in an airplane, it is essential to carry emergency supplies and location transmitters. Without these essentials tools, your odds of survival in the event of a disaster are greatly diminished.
An emergency location transmitter (ELT) will transmit a signal informing rescue crews and other crafts of your exact position. A helicopter ELT offers multiple axes to account for the versatility of the craft. This means that regardless of your position in the air or on the ground, the system will be able to pinpoint you location.
No matter what craft you are flying or how close your destination, it is always necessary to bring location devices and survival supplies on your excursion. Packing these essentials will not only give you peace of mind knowing that you are properly prepared but will also save your life in the event of an emergency. Making a small investment now can pay huge dividends in the future.
A personal locator beacon will help rescue teams pinpoint your position, and the ACR Aero Fix is one of the best models on the market. It utilizes a 406 MHz transmission to communicate with a satellite system, transmitting your unique register code. The unit is lightweight and will take-up virtually no space in the cockpit.
In the event of a disaster, you want to be sure that you have the best emergency equipment at your disposal. As the best selling ELT on the market, the AmeriKing ELT has proven that it is the choice of all the top aviators. There are several factors that set AmeriKing apart from the competition, including state-of-the-art features, quality and unbeatable warranties.
Several of the top aircraft manufacturers utilize AmeriKing products in their crafts. The units feature unparalleled precision and send out a signal within one minute of the first burst. This can mean the difference between life and death when there is a ground crew searching for you.
Over the last few days there has been a concerted effort in Oregon to find a group of three hikers that has gone missing on Mount Hood. The hikers did not have an ACR personal locator beacon or other device to alert rescue teams to their whereabouts. Adverse weather conditions have severely limited the amount of rescue workers and aid that has been accessible to the area, with a whiteout completely eliminating the search efforts on Tuesday.
Searchers found the body of one of the climbers at an elevation of 9,000 feet. The preliminary autopsy showed that he had fallen and incurred minor injuries before hypothermia set in. As the weather worsens and rescue attempts become for restricted, the prospects of findings the two remaining hikers is dwindling.
One of the best selling personal locator beacons in the world is on sale for a short time. The ACR MicroFix personal locator beacon is being sold at discounted prices due to over stock inventory. This state of the are PLB can be purchased for over $100.00 less than it cost a few weeks ago. If you’re in the market for a personal locator beacon, this ACR MicroFix is for you! ACR PLBs have saved the lives of hundreds of people around the world.
For Emergency Use Only: Locator Beacons
For the past few years, I’ve been doing all I can to teach my teenage sons about the virtues of self-reliance. I find that the best venue for these lessons is the great outdoors, where nature rewards those who think quickly and logically while punishing fools and cowards. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not the sort of dad who taught his kids to swim by throwing them in the lake. However, it’s my firm belief that we learn best by doing, and that physical and mental challenges only make us stronger.
Before venturing into the woods for a fun but taxing hike with the boys, I always sit down and figure out exactly all the supplies we’ll need to bring along. Decades of experience have taught me how to survive in the wilderness, and I would never overlook the essentials of food, water and shelter. Last year, we decided to take along a GME personal locator beacon as well, vowing only to use it in case of a dire emergency.
ACR, the leading manufacturer in personal locator beacons, has introduced the latest line in PLBs. The SARLink personal locator beacon is the best one they have made yet. The cost is much lower and the unit does more than the previous units. It’s weight is less, it is able to perform more self tests, it operates for a longer period of time, and it has a flashing strobe on it as well. If you are in the market for a personal locator beacon or have been waiting a while until the prices drop, now is the time to look at the NEW SARLink from ACR Electronics.
The Mexican government had decided to allow, for a short time longer, US airplanes to fly into Mexican airspace and the country if they still have the old 121.5 ELT installed. The country of Mexico still switched to the new rule of allowing only 406MHz emergency locator transmitters on aircraft that are registered in Mexico. If a USA registered airplane flys into Mexico, it will still be allowed for the time being.
Mexico realizes the vast amount of airplanes that fly in and out of Mexico rm the united states. The US has not mandated the use of 406MHz ELTs so if Mexico were to ban all aircraft that do not have them it would severely impact the revenue from US airplanes. The restriction on the old 121.5 MHz emergency locator transmitters will eventually be upheld by Mexico, but for now it is still legal to fly into Mexico with an old one.
Two hikers in the Sierra Nevada Mountains were stranded when very bad weather moved in from an unforecasted early winter storm. Packed only for relatively mild conditions they were forced to seek shelter in a tent designed for mild weather. The storm produced over a foot of snow overnight making the trek several miles out of the mountains impossible with the gear they had available. With no other options, they activated their ACR SARLink personal locator beacon. Rescue services were immediately notified and a rescue was in operation shortly. One more save attributed to the personal locator beacon.
Amateur Pilots Should Stay Prepared
Like most amateur pilots, I got started with my hobby after being fascinated with the idea of flight. As a child I dreamed of soaring through the air, bursting through clouds and racing birds. I’ve stuck with flying planes mostly because of the sense of camaraderie among small aircraft pilots. Every so often, wanderlust gets the best of me and I begin charting a course across the country.
My plane is so small that it needs to be refueled every few hours, and landing to gas up at various small airfields gives me a chance to meet new people. Even more so than a commercial jet pilot, I must remain alert at all times and prepared in case anything goes wrong in the mechanical department. I keep a few aircraft survival kits on hand in case of the worst.