SAFETY TOOLS IN OUR COCKPIT

Doug,
One positive change that came from 9/11 is that airliners now
monitor 121.5. Daryl gave a pretty thorough rundown on your "toolkit",
so lets talk about one of the most basic. If you survive your
outlanding or crash, there are few places in the US that an airliner
won't be within line-of-sight at some time. If your glider radio was
destroyed, hopefully you have a handheld. Transmitting on 121.5 could
be a very good resource.
Frankly, I have never heard of a sailplane gone missing that wasn't
found quickly, as contrasted with WW2 wrecks that are stumbled onto.
Realistically, someone heard you, saw you, or knew of your intentions.
Of course, if you routinely drive to the gliderport, rig, and takeoff
for a straight-out without saying a word to a soul, you are putting
yourself more at risk.
Give someone a rough idea of your plan before you depart, make
position reports on glider frequency, and keep your batteries charged!

Good luck.

Dean Chantiles "GO"