Posts Tagged ‘Personal Survival Kit’
Surviving the Aftermath of an Emergency Landing
While commercial planes are subject to rigorous safety inspections and constant structural scrutiny, the same cannot necessarily be said for small, private planes. Amateur pilots and hobbyists aren’t always master mechanics, nor do they always perform the routine maintenance required to fly a plane with absolute confidence. Whether it’s because of unavoidable equipment malfunctions or human negligence, small aircraft can suffer unexpected problems.
In the unlikely and unfortunate event that your plane ever goes down or that you’re forced to crash-land in a remote location, it’s best to be prepared. Since you won’t have your pick of the precise location where the plane lands, there’s no way to guarantee that you’ll have access to the facilities we take for granted every day. By keeping a personal survival kit in the cockpit of the plane, you increase your odds of surviving the aftermath of a crash or emergency landing.
Whenever you go out into the wilderness, you should have several essential items in case you get lost: food, water, dry clothes, and a pocket knife to help you build a fire and shelter, among others. But one item that can really help you be rescued and that should be an essential wherever you go is a signal mirror with a loud whistle. Even if a boat or airplane were to pass you when you were stranded, there is no guarantee they would see you without a signal. Having even a small mirror and whistle with you can literally save your life.
The Hot Shot signal mirror has a holographic red dot viewing window that’s designed to project a red dot onto your target, which helps you ensure that your mirror reflection has reached the boat or airplane. The mirror is telescope quality, making it extra bright and easy to see when the sun reflects of it. The attached whistle is U.S. Coast Guard approved for audible alerting in low-visibility conditions, and an attached float is buoyant enough that you can recover it if it is dropped in water. A valuable tool like this should be a staple of any personal survival kit you carry.