Region 4 S: ELT Mandatory

I just received a note from Lanier Frantz stating that all competitors
at R4S must have an ELT. I understand the reason for this decision,
but I question whether it will have the intended effect. I have long
been against mandatory ELT use in soaring comopetitions for one reason
only: they do not operate as advertised. While 121.5 MHz ELTs are
useful in locating a crash scene, they are nearly useless as a life
saving device. And, in fact, these units only activate properly in
about 12% of crashes.

The management of R4S

The thoughts that this ELT was "registered" I now believe were wrong. If you
want to check out this ELT, see KS, it is now in his Duo Discus!

PS. Todd......bring that Champ to Mifflin, we like tailwheel airplanes!

"Todd Pattist" wrote in message
...
(Chris OCallaghan) wrote:

all competitors at R4S must have an ELT.

I hope no one minds if I hijack this thread slightly for a
related topic. Peter Masak's accident resulted in pretty
rapid location of the crash site. The transmitted signal
included an identifier registered to Peter. That's not a
conventional 121.5 ELT as I have in my glider. As it
happens, I recently purchased a 1946 Champ without an ELT,
and need to buy one for the airplane, so I'm weighing my
options as to what to buy and whether I should move the
glider ELT to the airplane. The glider is Experimental and
I can install what I want, the airplane is Standard.

I wonder if anyone can comment on what type of ELT system
was in Peter's aircraft. It sounds like a marine EPIRB, but
I'm not sure if they are approved for aircraft use as an
ELT. I've also heard the 121.5 signal monitoring by
satellite may be phased out, and that the higher frequency
ELT's work better to localize. Are the higher frequency
TSO'd ELT's registered to their owners?

Any info would be appreciated.
Todd Pattist - "WH" Ventus C
(Remove DONTSPAMME from address to email reply.)

In article , Chris
OCallaghan writes
I just received a note from Lanier Frantz stating that all competitors
at R4S must have an ELT. I understand the reason for this decision,
but I question whether it will have the intended effect. I have long
been against mandatory ELT use in soaring comopetitions for one reason
only: they do not operate as advertised. While 121.5 MHz ELTs are
useful in locating a crash scene, they are nearly useless as a life
saving device. And, in fact, these units only activate properly in
about 12% of crashes.

The management of R4S

And one of the snags of this device is that they have been know to go
off accidentally.
When that happens a great bit expensive helicopter suddenly appears over
your trailer....
--
Mike Lindsay

Mike Lindsay wrote:

And one of the snags of this device is that they have been know to go
off accidentally.
When that happens a great bit expensive helicopter suddenly appears over
your trailer....

The one I have can be disabled with a pin (with an attached red flag to
make it obvious). I use to disable it for trailering, then I got lazy,
and 50,000 trailer miles later, no activation. My trailer is metal, so
the signal wouldn't get out anyhow.

Has anyone had an ELT activate while trailering?

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Eric Greenwell wrote in message ...
Has anyone had an ELT activate while trailering?

I turn mine off after each flight.

Just before turning off the master switch, radio goes to 121.5, then I
toggle ELT power from standby to off pausing for one blip in the on
position. This way I can also check for any ELT's that may be active
at the airport.

When I turn on the master, the radio's on 121.5 and I don't switch
until the ELT is on and verified functional with one blip.

I keep meaning to have someone shove me in the trailer while in the
cockpit to see if the metal trailer blocks the signal, but still
haven't remembered to do it.

-Tom
ASH-26E