ELT Required for all SSA sanctioned contests starting 2006

"Martin Eiler" wrote in message
...
Most people consider pilot safety as everything needed until that pilot is
safe and sound at his intended destination. Pilots spend thousands of
dollars per year on auto, glider and life insurance. Yet there is this
whine about spending a few hundred dollars one time on a piece of
equipment
that could mean the difference between life and death, in the event of a
crash.

As we are all aware, the old 121.5 MHz ELTs are on their way out, with only
3 more years of promised satallite coverage. The few 406 MHz ELTs that I've
seen have yet to see much of a price drop.

From Chief Aircraft:

Ameri-King AK-450, a popular 121.5 ELT: $183.75 USD

Artex G406, a 406 MHz ELT: $1589.00

Handheld radios, cell and satellite phones are all excellent items
for your land out kits, but none of them are automatically activated
during
a crash; nor will phones or radios be of any use if you become
unconscious.


One of the many problems with the real world experience of the older ELTs,
is that in most cases they have not activated automatically in a crash. They
do, however, seem to activate for a myrid number of non-crash reasons such
as hard landings and whatever. And almost all activations have been false.

Pilots who fly in remote, mountainous and wilderness areas should
reconsider
installing an ELT, if not for themselves, then maybe for their families
who
may lose a loved one simply because they weren’t found in time.



M Eiler


The argument I've seen most often against the US contest requirement for an
installed ELT, is not that there isn't a need for this sort of thing at all,
but rather that a PLB (personal locator beacon) is a more viable solution.
PLBs can be small enough to attach to a parachute harness, operate on 406
MHz (so won't become obsolete in 3 years), can be had with built in GPS to
send a precise location, and will direct search personnel to the pilot as
opposed to the wreckage. Further, they are registered to the pilot so
searcher know who they are looking for, and obviously will work in more than
just one vehicle or activity. Prices have come down to the $500 -$700 range
(w/ GPS built in).

bumper