Posts Tagged ‘aviation elt’
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.
Upgrade to Reliable Locator Technology
As a pilot, you’re probably aware that most U.S. civil aircraft are required to carry emergency beacons. In the past, planes were generally equipped with 121.5 MHz transmitters, but these have largely fallen out of use – and for good reason. In order for another aviator to pick up a distress signal from a plane in range, he would have to be listening to that particular frequency at just the right moment.
These days, satellites associated with Search and Rescue Satellite-aided Tracking are mostly responsible for picking up distress signals. Since these satellites stopped monitoring the 121.5 MHz frequency in February of this year, newer-generation emergency locator transmitters are especially critical. They operate at 406 MHz and can be picked up easily via satellite. When it’s your safety at stake, why trust old technology?
Many people have a fear of flying, and news about plane crashes certainly doesn’t help ease that fear. Some people try to get over their fear by being brave and flying anyway. If you’re one of those people, you might want to bring an ELT and a survival kit with you on the plane. That way, in the event of a crash, you have a better chance of being rescued and surviving than you would otherwise.
You can also follow some aviation safety tips to help ease your mind as an airplane passenger. First, fly on nonstop routings. Most accidents occur during airplane takeoff, climb, descent and landing, so flying nonstop reduces the number of times you’re in those accident-prone phases of flight. Choose larger aircrafts – those with more than 30 seats – because those are designed and certified under the strictest regulations. Pay attention to the preflight briefing and note the emergency exits, flotation devices and oxygen masks. Always listen to the flight attendants and keep your seatbelt fastened while you are seated. Lastly, keep your wits about you. Try to stay calm in an emergency and you’ll be better able to survive.