What's gonna happen to CAP?

In article .com,
Jay Honeck wrote:

Anyway, with no one listening to 121.5,

huh? we aren't supposed to monitor 121.5?

--
Bob Noel
(goodness, please trim replies!!!)

Jay Honeck wrote:

The question at hand is whether the new transponders will really reduce
the need for S&R? It may reduce the search time somewhat, but it won't do
much to eliminate the rescue operations.

It may be all hype, but I thought the new 406 mhz ELTs were designed
to report your position in Lat/Lon, like a GPS? If that's the case,
the "Search" part of a SAR mission has been entirely eliminated.

Only if GPS-enabled. Look into PLB and you will find those with and
without integral GPS reporting.

I also thought these things were being touted as all-but-eliminating
false signals? Sadly, false alarms made up the vast majority of our
CAP SAR missions, so a huge percentage of CAP SAR will be eliminated
if this feature is truly functional.

Who knows if false alarms will be reduced. Why do we have so many
with 121.5 MHz ELTs?

Ron Lee

Last 4 missions I've been on have not been ELT or missing aircraft, but
dealt with missing persons or homeland security.

--
Jim Carter
Rogers, Arkansas

"Jim Carter" wrote in message
...
Last 4 missions I've been on have not been ELT or missing aircraft, but
dealt with missing persons or homeland security.

If you can say it without disclosing anything you shouldn't, what sort of
homeland security missions were they?

Just curious,
Dennis

Interesting, fun, and I hope worthwhile.

--
Jim Carter
Rogers, Arkansas
"Dennis Johnson" wrote in message
. ..

"Jim Carter" wrote in message
...
Last 4 missions I've been on have not been ELT or missing aircraft, but
dealt with missing persons or homeland security.

If you can say it without disclosing anything you shouldn't, what sort of
homeland security missions were they?

Just curious,
Dennis

On Sep 19, 8:15 am, Jay Honeck wrote:
My son and I were active in Civil Air Patrol a couple of years ago.
The primary training mission was Search and Rescue, utilizing radio
direction finders that allowed us to find transponders that were going
off.

With the impending transition to 406 mhz transponders that will give
far more accurate location information upon activation, we will no
longer need fatigue-clad cadets trudging through the woods on SAR
missions.

CAP is a good organization for kids, basically "Boy Scouts With a
Mission". Given that Search and Rescue is their primary mission, I
wonder what's gonna happen to CAP?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

The mission is certainly changing. Remember that S&R has always been
only one part of the CAP mission. CAP still has a very active cadet
program and aerospace education. Recently CAP has been doing a lot
more counter drug mission (looking for pot farms, etc) as well as
boarder patrol. The mission is evolving for sure. When I fly with CAP
90% of my missions are ROTC rides for the two local universities.

-Robert

Jay Honeck wrote:

With the impending transition to 406 mhz transponders that will give
far more accurate location information upon activation, we will no
longer need fatigue-clad cadets trudging through the woods on SAR
missions.
\
First there is NO (zip, nada) mandate for GA to transition to 406 MHz
ELTs. Thus as of today there is almost 100% equippage with 121.5 MHz
ELTs in the GA fleet.

You kid will be having kids before this may be an issue.

Ron Lee

"Ron Lee" wrote:

...there is NO (zip, nada) mandate for GA to transition to 406 MHz
ELTs.

True, but:

http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/phaseout.html

If I'm down, I want a satellite to pick up the beacon, pronto.

--
Dan
T-182T at BFM

On Sep 19, 12:24 pm, "Dan Luke" wrote:
"Ron Lee" wrote:
...there is NO (zip, nada) mandate for GA to transition to 406 MHz
ELTs.

True, but:

http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/phaseout.html

If I'm down, I want a satellite to pick up the beacon, pronto.

It remains to be seen how 121.5 signals will be detected if the gov't
stops looking for them. However, from having hunted for ELTs myself
CAP can find them every single time. There is no concern what-so-ever
that the 121.5 isn't specific enough as to location. Yes, you often
have to have aircraft up to narrow down the signal location but we
often hide ELTs around the state and then send training crews up to
find them and I'm not aware of anytime a crew of air and group crews
could not find an ELT located under any rock anywhere in the state.

-Robert

"Dan Luke" wrote

True, but:

http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/phaseout.html

If I'm down, I want a satellite to pick up the beacon, pronto.

You, and me both.

In an aircraft crash, there is always a high chance of life-threatening
injuries. The "golden hour" of receiving treatment is never more important
in these cases. The new 406 ELT's may be the difference of getting
treatment started in the "golden hour." **

I would have to say that a new 406 ELT would be on the top of the equipment
list for a new homebuilt, for me, even though the cost is a significant
burden. It is hard for me to put a price on the value of my life, but I'm
certain it is higher than the new ELT's price.
--
Jim in NC


** PS. For those that are unfamiliar with the term, "golden hour" it refers
to the first hour after the life threatening injuries. It has been shown
that people who receive treatment in the first hour have a significantly
higher chance of surviving, than those who do not get treatment in the first
"golden hour."

I believe the term was originated in a TV show about emergency paramedics.
I could be wrong, and the term was already around when the show picked it
up, and made it a common term.