Archive for February, 2010
It has always been my dream to learn how to fly, and for my birthday last year my wife helped me make that dream come true. She signed me up for flight school at a local academy, and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Last week I had my first solo flight –what an adrenaline rush.
Like most beginning pilots, I was scared out of my mind for the first few minutes. Once my nerves settled, however, I was able to appreciate the freedom and beauty that the skies provide. It also helped when I reminded myself of the months of training I had undergone, as well as the airplane ELT and other safety measures that were in place.
Aviation safety has been a hot-button issue in recent weeks following the thwarted Christmas Day bombing. It seems like everyday new measures are being proposed to eliminate the impending threat of terrorism and plane takeovers. One of the most controversial of these tactics is utilizing new full-body scanners.
These devices would give security personnel a computerized image of a passenger via an x-ray. The image would be digitized to provide some confidentiality, but they still leave nothing to the imagination. Despite new measures designed to frustrate terrorists, there will likely be new innovations and tactics employed to circumvent any security upgrades.
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.