Reasons to talk to ATC...

An interesting article in the January 2004 AOPA FLIGHT TRAINING
magazine, Checkride column by Dave Wilkerson.
An article in a recent edition of THE FEDERAL AIR SURGEON'S MEDICAL
BULLETIN (http://www2.faa.gov/avr/aam/fasb597/31.htm)
relates the following:
The average time between an aircraft's last know position (LKP) and
rescue varies widely based on the type of flight plan filed.
When an IFR flight plan is in use, an average of 13 hours and 6 minutes
elapse from the LKP to rescue.
When a VFR flight plan is in use, an average of 37 hours and 18 minutes
elapse from LKP to rescue.
When no flight plan is in use, an average of 42 hours and 24 minutes
elapse from LKP to rescue.
This is incidental information.
The topic of discussion in the article was survival equipment and
questions regarding it on the Private Pilot PTS and the question, "What
does the examiner want to hear?"
The answer given, at least the survival gear outlined at the end of
Chapter 12 of the AIRPLANE FLYING HANDBOOK. (first aid kit, flashlight,
water, knife)

When a VFR flight plan is in use, an average of 37 hours and 18 minutes
elapse from LKP to rescue.
When no flight plan is in use, an average of 42 hours and 24 minutes
elapse from LKP to rescue.

This is not a very strong motivation to file a flight plan!

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: -- put Cubdriver in subject line!

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

"Cub Driver" wrote in message


This is not a very strong motivation to file a flight plan!


....but it is strong motivation to receive flight following.

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/TknoFlyer
http://www.pocketgear.com/products_s...veloperid=4415
____________________

Cub Driver wrote:

When a VFR flight plan is in use, an average of 37 hours and 18 minutes
elapse from LKP to rescue.
When no flight plan is in use, an average of 42 hours and 24 minutes
elapse from LKP to rescue.

This is not a very strong motivation to file a flight plan!

Well, keep in mind that those are averages. Since every once in a while you read
about someone who isn't found for six months, and every time it seems to be someone
who didn't file a flight plan at all, I think there's some incentive.

I'd also like to know how many in each category are never found.

George Patterson
This marriage is off to a shaky start. The groom just asked the band to
play "Your cheatin' heart", and the bride just requested "Don't come home
a'drinkin' with lovin' on your mind".

John T wrote:

This is not a very strong motivation to file a flight plan!


...but it is strong motivation to receive flight following.


There were no stats relevant to flight following given...

-Andrew

--
Andrew Stanley-Jones | "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
EE, LongEz N87KJ | -- Walt Disney

G.R. Patterson III wrote:

Cub Driver wrote:

When a VFR flight plan is in use, an average of 37 hours and 18 minutes
elapse from LKP to rescue.
When no flight plan is in use, an average of 42 hours and 24 minutes
elapse from LKP to rescue.

This is not a very strong motivation to file a flight plan!


Well, keep in mind that those are averages. Since every once in a while you read
about someone who isn't found for six months, and every time it seems to be someone
who didn't file a flight plan at all, I think there's some incentive.

I'd also like to know how many in each category are never found.

George Patterson
This marriage is off to a shaky start. The groom just asked the band to
play "Your cheatin' heart", and the bride just requested "Don't come home
a'drinkin' with lovin' on your mind".

Well, and I would guess it is also averaged for the whole country. I
think they would find you much faster when busting the Washington DC
ADIZ due to an emergency than when impacting the ground in the desert
out west. They may find you fast in White Sands, but more so because
they blasted a missile through your wings and tracked it (well you
shouldn't be there anyway) .

Chris
PP-ASEL
Student Glider Pilot
New Mexico

Here's another reason,
A couple weeks ago I gave this Seneca fuel prices from
Airnav on his route ahead. Where he was going was
$1.00 more a gallon than others I told him about, dont
know where he eventually went. I'm sure somehow
someone on here will tell me I can get in trouble for that.

Other reasons, from my experience on this side of the mic:
General bullshi**ing.
Talking about and comparing equipment, usually avionics.
Heads up on weather.
Terrain alerts, a big issue here out west, for the uninformed.
Other traffic, of course.
In case they need an IFR clearance in a pinch.
Airspace changes on the fly, MOA's, TFR's, etc.
....and did I say just bullshi**ing in general? Which I do more
than my supervisors would prefer.
But check this out, once I actually got an atta-boy for my, well,
non-approved phraseology. This guy comes over on freq, and
you can spot em a mile away when they have that shaky voice.
I usually try to put em at ease. Well, this guy was shaky for a reason,
he was having serious engine trouble and losing altitude in
a mountainous area. The FAA likes to pull tapes and listen to the
time leading up to an incident, which they did here, and heard
my conversational type of ATC. At first they frowned on it,
but the effect it had on relaxing this guy and making flying the
airplane the number one job, gave us a positive outcome. Panic,
especially in a pretty bad looking situation like this one, only
makes matters worse. He didn't panic and got it to a runway.

So in short, you're paying for it (ATC), might as well use it.
Chris

than when impacting the ground in the desert
out west.

Or the piney woods here in New Hampshire. (How many years did it take
to find that biz jet that crashed while figuring to land at Lebanon
NH? Three? Four?)

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
The Piper Cub Forum www.pipercubforum.com
Viva Bush! www.vivabush.org

"ASJ" wrote in message


There were no stats relevant to flight following given...

No, but the rationale is that if you're already on frequency with flight
following, you will be closer to the IFR stats than the VFR flight plan
stats.

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/TknoFlyer
http://www.pocketgear.com/products_s...veloperid=4415
____________________

John T wrote:

No, but the rationale is that if you're already on frequency with flight
following, you will be closer to the IFR stats than the VFR flight plan
stats.

Perhaps. What does ATC upon losing RADAR contact with an IFR? What about
when it loses RADAR contact with a VFR getting advisories?

I don't know the answers, so I'm hoping one of our resident controllers
pipes up. But it is at least possible that a lost IFR contact gets a lot
more attention.

Of course, if the pilot manages to squeeze out a "mayday", you're right.
But I don't know how often this is the case, or how often it is the case
where a pilot cannot manage to call for help on guard.

BTW, why don't radios have a button to press to get guard immediately, akin
to NRST on a GPS? I seem to recall that some CB radios had those, Back
When.

Curiously...

Andrew