Aviation Safety News

From Major Dave Montgomery

Pilot. Author. Search and Rescue Expert. 

Type rated: C-130, B727, B707, C-212, GIII and G-IV

We met Dave Montgomery on this blog five years ago when I shared his book. He is an amazing writer and his words could save lives. If you haven't read Blue Water Ditching, I recommend it.  But Dave has not stopped there. He is a prolific writer who is interested in practical safety. What that means is he is sharing information that could help pilots when that unexpected happens. 

Dave has just had an article release in AIN:

The Magic Switch That So Many Pilots 

Know So Little About

Reprinted from AIN:

"For six years I surveyed pilots to see what they knew about search and rescue…the results were not good. I asked more than 300 pilots a simple questions and only two gave me the answer I was looking for. The training shortfall involves a small "magic switch" in every cockpit that pilots never touch and most pilots do not know much about.

My primary flight instruction was in the late 1970s, and training regarding emergency locator transmitter (ELT) use has changed very little in 40-plus years. The early 121.5/243 MHz system was riddled with problems. Some installations had battery issues. Wreckage could block or funnel the signal in a direction that would confuse location pointers and rescue forces. Sometimes the antenna would be separated from the transmitter. Some transmitters were so damaged they could not emit any signal. History is full of downed or lost aircraft that were never found. Pilots learned to mistrust the ELT system..."

To read more, click here 

to go to the article!

Now... I'm off to Paris. 

Just enjoyed a layover in Seattle. 

Enjoy the Journey!

XO Karlene