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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Air Support

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "IRVIN LICHTENSTEIN" <ilichten1@verizon.net>
  • To: "'Mounted search and rescue'" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Air Support
  • Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2006 01:37:56 -0400

The problem you described is not an air support problem but a MSAR problem.
Your mount must be trained to accept (not necessarily like or enjoy) loud
noises and aircraft operations. Knowing when and how an aircraft starts
engines and takes off is useful. Aircraft turbines tend to spin up and then
pop when the burners light off with high dB levels and high frequencies.
Depending on the helicopter you may get a "thawt" as the rotor blades cross
over the tail boom.

Air support is when the search rates one or more aircraft for search and
logistics. The search managers, both in planning and ops, have to know how
to utilize the resource in an optimum manner that does not compromise ground
units. We have had copters drop from survey altitudes to almost ground
level when something interested the pilot or observer-- with disasterous
results for trackers, dog teams, and ground pounders as the rotor wash wiped
an area clean. Personally, I had a close encounter with a hot air balloon
landing on a public trail and then venting its propane tanks and burner
lines. Horses not only don't like loud noises they don't like fire.

To properly utilize air support you need to know what he capabilities of the
air unit are, plan for them, and be able to communicate with them. This
last is important in case either you or they have a change in plans. In
Maryland and New Jersey the state police helicopters are the official
medical helicopters and that mission can come first. USCG units are also
still on call for immediate threats to life versus a ground search where
other resources are available. We used to get medical helicopters a lot and
they all had fire radios so we could talk to them but the need for them to
go somewhere else was always there. Now we get police units with a ground
liason. They have FLIR, video, MDTs, and all the toys.

Irv Lichtenstein





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