It pays to be prepared

This is the time to have a survival kit and a useful first aid kit.

When I was flying charter in Tasmania we always had a large plastic tub in the rear of the aircraft with survival kit in it, and this was in addition to an ELT.

A survival kit will differ between location and climate. If inland it will have more water than say a wet coastal area. It should include a fire lighter, knife, torch, equipment to give shelter and food enough for each person to last at least three days, working on the basis that you are running a flight plan and someone will find you in that time.

No two survival kits will be the same. The survival kit, like the first aid kit, should be date tagged and be checked at stipulated calendar times.

A first aid kit can be looked at as a two-part kit. A pack of bandaids for minor cuts and abrasions. You use this without breaking into the main kit. The main kit comprises a more comprehensive collection of bandages, bandaids, creams, antiseptics and other items considered to be part of a usable first aid kit.

Aviation law and common sense requires that if you fly more than 50nm from home base you should have an ELT. There are two types. The one that is aircraft-mounted and trips under impact load or manual activation. The other is a portable. This writer typically carries an ELT attached to himself, working on the basis that if he gets out of the aircraft alive he can activate the ELT. If the aircraft ditches or burns, an aircraft-mounted unit may not be available to transmit a distress signal.

Again, on a cross-country flight, your writer will typically carry a cigarette lighter and sharp knife in a pocket plus an ELT as the first line of defence in case of a forced landing in a remote area.

It goes without saying that a flight plan with Air Services or a competent person should always be a must so that in the worst case someone will know where to look for you.

The aircraft itself: Cessna and Piper aircraft have been the norm for typical flying school and for-hire aircraft in the past. Now we are seeing more Diamond, Cirrus, Sting, Bristell, RV and other aircraft that have a bubble or sliding canopy. The recent accident to a Cirrus SR20 at Tooradin was a wake-up call. The aircraft went off the runway and ended up on its left side, minus both wings and the tailplane, over a water-filled canal. It was fortunate that the right door could be opened to allow the occupants to exit. Had the aircraft inverted it could have been that the two doors could not be opened with the cockpit sinking into the canal. To the credit of the Cirrus makers there is an emergency egress hammer located in the console between the front seats. In the case of a roll-over the hammer can be used to break the windows to exit the machine. The Kiwis also had an egress axe or hammer located behind the seat back on the bubble canopy Airtourer line of aircraft that they produced. Smart people.

In America there was the airshow Stearman that had a flip-up cockpit cover. The machine ended up upside down on the ground during a low level pass. The pilot could not exit the aircraft.

In the UK there have been several cases of the single-seat Tipsy Nipper overturning with the pilot unable to exit the cockpit without the help of first responders due to the bubble canopy.

Here in Australia there have been several RV aircraft that have had the nose wheel collapse and the aircraft turn over. One was at Atherton Airport in January 2018. Another was at Starke Field, Queensland in January 2017. Both these required first responders to help get the occupants out.

‘It goes without saying that a flight plan should always be a must’

Another RV, near Albany, WA in September 2016 had an engine failure and ended up upside down. Fortunately the windscreen broke and enabled the occupants to exit via the break.

All these and others should give serious impetus to the occupants of bubble canopy type aircraft to think about carrying an emergency egress hammer or break-out tool of the cold chisel variety so they can exit by smashing their way out in the case of an overturn.

It is said that in an aviation landing emergency only those who plan ahead have a fighting chance of survival. The above are a few reminders of how to provide for that.

Instructor tip of the month

It may be fashionable to wear a shirt without a pocket but as a pilot you should only wear a pilot shirt that has pockets. Pockets are good to carry a wiz wheel and more importantly a small notebook and pen. The best brand of notebook has a yellow cover. The pen must be the sort that you can operate with one hand. Good for when you are flying. In that notebook you write the ATIS, notes re your aircraft, flight times for your log book, the phone number for that client and other important things. Never leave home without that pen and notebook.