Yesterday the CVHRC conducted another successful Fox Hunt. I want to thank all who attended and those who participated. This event was and exercise in locating not only the black box of a downed experimental aircraft but also the pilot using his PLB, ( Personal Location Beacon ).
This exercise started at the Ash Flat Courthouse parking lot where participants where given an incident briefing and maps. The search team was giving information that an experimental aircraft had left the Cherokee Village Airport and subsequently crashed minutes after taking off. The pilot was able to transmit a distress of mayday without anything else heard. The team was given their search parameters and safety briefing. The search pattern of this exercise was only several miles wide but elusive in design.
The participants conducted their search using their RDF, ( Radio Direction Finding ), techniques and within one hour and fifteen minute the wreckage of the aircraft was located along with the Transmitter, ( the Black box ), at which time a second bulletin was giving to the participants with the frequency of the pilots PLB. Within a short time the Pilot was located with his beacon and the exercise was closed. All parties then met at the after event for conversation and food.
Again I want to thank all who were involved, the participants, those members that helped Estela, KI5SDW, at the after event and George, AF5SB, for conducting this event for the club. I enjoyed getting the time to get out in the field this time and watch the action in play.
Pictures Link Here...