CASARA Newsletter August 2011 - PEP Air...him as he was an Assistant Search Master on the Penticton SAR last year. As we roll into the fall season, I'm sure a lot of you are looking

August 2011PEP Air-CASARA

We have had a very busy past few months here in British Columbia. The Northwest Zone has taken up a great deal of my time. I'm very happy to report that we now have a Zone Commander for the Northwest. Some of you may remember Lynn Van Cadsand who was Zone Commander a little over three years ago. She has accepted this position until another qualified member is up to speed to take over the reins. We welcome you back Lynn with open arms and look forward to seeing your smiling face at the next Zone Commanders’ meeting October 22, 2011.

Since the last Newsletter we hosted the Provincial SAREX in Kamloops on June 10 – 12 with aircraft and crews from five of our six zones participating. The performance of all the crews are to be commended, however special presentations were made to the following aircrews for their outstanding performance during the exercise, C-GHAH from Central Zone, C-FHLT from the Southeast Zone and C-FGPI from the Southwest Zone. Congratulation to all teams who attended and to the folks in Kamloops for their time and energy in doing so much of the work, without your support it would not have been the success that it was.

While I travelled around the province this summer, I was able to give a number of Long Term Service Pins from PEP and CASARA to members in Kamloops, Prince George, Smithers, Haidai Gwaii, and Cranbrook along with certificates for 5, 10, 15, 20 and now the new 25

Continued on next page.

Alton KingDirector GeneralPEP Air

Alton King, Director

Alton King (Continued from front page.)

Jeanette Thompson, Kim Dickson, Tom Cheeseman, Bryan Cantwell, Fred Carey and Dave Qualley at the CASARA booth.

Photos by John Lovelace

Pitt Meadowsin

June

year service times. Congratulations to all members who received their pins and certificates. I also gave out a 40 year PEP pin to a member in Prince George, well done Rollie Rouleau.

While at the Board of Directors meeting in Winnipeg, I brought up the subject of the Waiver on the Membership Application. After some discussion it was voted to remove this waiver from the form. I believe that it is a move in the right direction.

A number of our members have been busy with our two display units around the province. This is a great time to go to a fly-in or airshow and present to the public and aviation enthusiast what PEP Air is and how we work with the Province (ECC), the SAR Squadron 442 and Joint Rescue Coordination Centre as well Ground SAR units throughout the province. Some, if not all of these event expenses can be covered by CASARA's SAR Awareness and Outreach. Contact your Zone Commander for more information on this.

Some of you may already know that Capt. Mike Brush our CLO with 442 has left the military and we now have a new CLO in Capt. Marc Archambault. Mike will be relocating to Montreal where he will be building flight simulators. A round of applause to you Mike for a job well done here as our CLO. A big warm welcome to Marc and we all look forward to meeting and working with you. Some of you may already be acquainted with him as he was an Assistant Search Master on the Penticton SAR last year. As we roll into the fall season, I'm sure a lot of you are looking forward to some class and tabletop exercises as well as some very stable flying time. Thank you to each and every one of you for your dedication and time to the PEP Air program.

Wilderness Survival Course by

Sheila Gruenwald

Williams Lake

So why do PEP Air members need to have a wilderness survival course? Simply - so that we have the ability to self-rescue and not be a liability or diversion to a search in progress. As we all have the opportunity to take the Wilderness Survival training we bond more tightly as a team and have a deeper understanding of the self-rescue knowledge of each of our team members.

On the weekend of May 9-10, Williams Lake PEP Air had the opportunity to participate in the wilderness survival course. It began with an evening of information delivered by Power Point and visual aids. The emphasis was on the contents of the fly packs so in the event of an emergency each team member is adequately prepared to self-rescue for twenty-four hours.

The weekend was filled with following the survival sequence: First Aid, fire, shelter, signal, food, water. Participants were given an “injury” card then proceeded on to making fire and shelter construction. Through discussion and sharing of experience and ideas each participant left the weekend with new knowledge and a heightened confidence level.

ANewPerspective

Jaye Bryan putting a cap on a signal fire.

Mark Sellis.

Dave Ireland, Mark Sellis, Lian Woods and Jaye Bryan.

“Wow! What an informative weekend out in the bush. This session of wilderness survival from the classroom to the final day in the field is a must for any PEP Air volunteer. The skills you would learn from packing a personal survival pack to building fire, a shelter, snares and most importantly a signal fire are skills that would not only save your life but the lives of others. I for one now know, that should I be put in a situation of survival, I am confident I would make it and the peace of mind I would have, should I be injured, that the people I have been trained with would also survive and get me out, alive. Good job Sheila.” said Lian Woods.

Right: Sheila Gruenwald relaxing in her shelter.

Below: Marek Sellis with

his rabbit snare.

Above: Pilot Dave Ireland.

Marie Woodruff has been active with PEP Air as a volunteer spotter since 1995. Always available and ready to go when needed, Marie has volunteered for some very long days. She is very dedicated, always positive and takes on additional duties to support PEP Air, such as helping to produce the quarterly newsletter, taking meeting minutes and compiling the history of PEP Air. Marie also helps with administration to maintain a strong PEP Air Program on Vancouver Island. Further, she has also worked as a spotter on an integrated national air force exercise in Comox. In the words of the Vancouver Island Zone Commander, Bill Velie, “Keep up the good work Marie, because we need you!” Marie Woodruff is the 2011 PEP Air Volunteer of the Year.

(I just couldn’t make my mind up, Mum or the Minister? So I included both! Mum’s are important. Trevor Black, Ed.)

Top:Marie Woodruff with her Mum Thelma Payne.

Bottom: Marie with Minister Shirley Bond.

CASARA has a new logo

in observance of our first

twenty-five years

CASARA

The current by-laws at the Nanaimo Flying Club would restrict our activity if we had a prolonged search, as it is their club we decided to take advantage of an offer from the airport authority and open our had a room at the end of a hangar that was being used for storing ice melting material. It was a very basic room but it had heat.

own club house/SHQ. The airport

Back Row, l-r: Bill Inglis, Jon Laird, John Lamb, Rick Henry, Peter KroupaFront Row, l-r: Mike Williams, Ted Harms

Nanaimo CASARA is building a Club House

Rick HenryAir DeputyNamaimo

Fourteen members of PEP Air Nanaimo have been remodeling and renovating the space since May 15th and have put in over six hundred volunteer hours. Now we have an area where we can leave our maps out and be ready to go in minutes. There have been very generous donations of material from the airport authority (plywood, a steel door, lighting equipment). A local donated electrical wire. Additional supplies ( were provided by an anonymous donor to about $3,500.

Our grand opening is planned for September 17th at our Island SAREX.

electrical supply outfit hasgyprock, paint)

The total area of the rooms is about six hundred square feet and includes an upstairs mezzanine that will be used as a planning area for pilots and navigators. We're already seeing the benefits of a properly organized SHQ that makes the best use of the floor area. It's a tremendous time-saver being able to leave our equipment set-up and easier on the equipment, posters, and maps when we don't have to disassemble the SHQ after each tasking.

I'm pleased to announce that PEP Air (Nanaimo) has completed our new PEP Air Operations Centre at the Nanaimo Airport. Our first meeting at the new facility was held on August 17, 2011. We have already conducted two searches from the new centre in support of the Provincial Emergency Program and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.

We will celebrate the opening (rain or shine) of our PEP Air (Nanaimo) Operations Centre on September 17th at 4:00 p.m. following a zone training exercise with a social BBQ. A static display of our zone training exercise will be available and our search coordinator will be available to answer any questions.

We invite you or your representative to join us for this opening celebration. You are also welcome to bring a few selected members of your organization. Spouses are also welcome.

Please respond by return e-mail if you will be attending this celebration and include the number of guests in your party.

We look forward to seeing you at the celebration.

John Lamb [email protected]

CO

RN

ER

BRIAN’SThe recent Provincial SAREX in Kamloops provided us with an excellent opportunity to bring the zones together in a semi operational environment, but also in an atmosphere of camaraderie. It allowed us to observe how other zones train, plan and carry out their operational roles. It also gave insight into how we can improve our methods so that we can be safer and more effective. In a SAREX there are no losers, we are all winners. These Provincial SAREXs also provide the Provincial Training Officer (PTO), the Provincial Safety Officer (PSO) and the PEP Air Executive with a cross section view of the current state of PEP Air's operational readiness and our overall health as a volunteer organization, both of which are extremely important. As the PTO, I was specifically looking to see where we have come from over the past year or so, and in what direction we have to proceed. In short, what are our strengths and our weaknesses? In the past year we have been striving to improve communications within our organization, in all forms. I have also focused quite a bit of attention on maintaining a standard that allows us to operate seamlessly across zones.

Although the overall performance at the SAREX was excellent, my job is to find areas for improvement. Probably the most prominent area found was radio communications. Operating radios, either in the SHQ, a mobile unit or an aircraft is a daunting and crucial task, especially in the environment we fly in here in the mountains. It is important that the volunteers who fill these positions are given the training and supervised experience that they deserve. As an absolute minimum they should be aware of the requirements for Industry Canada Restricted Operator Certificate Air endorsement (ROC-A) found in the RIC-21 at www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/vwapj/ric21.pdf/$FILE/ric21.pdf.

It is also important that the radio operator understands that he/she is often a relay between the Search Coordinator and the search crew. In this role, radio operators have a duty to pass on the information exactly as received without paraphrasing or adding their own flavour to the message. I hope to address these issues during our upcoming fall and winter field training. Another example of our attempt to increase communications within the organization is our soon to be revamped website which will include all of our training material. This material will be available for viewing or down load by any member of PEP Air. I am hopeful it will be up and running by the time you read this newsletter. Not all zones were able to make it to the SAREX; this brings up another important issue, our health as an organization. We have to remember at the end of the day we are all volunteers with a common cause of helping our fellow aviators. It is important we do not take on too heavy a load. Through discussions with many individuals during the SAREX, I found a similar theme of becoming slightly over whelmed with continuously added responsibilities. This is another area that will have to be addressed in the near future.

I would invite each and every one of you to be a part of the process to make us safer and more effective. If you have any suggestions, observations or comments regarding any facet of our PEP Air organization whether it is safety, training, organizational, or you wish pass on praise or constructive criticism, then submit a Safety/Activity Reporting Form (Part I). All comments are welcome and the process is completely confidential unless you request otherwise. I hope that everyone is enjoying their summer, and thank you for your continuing dedication to all those things we do “That Others May Live”.

Brian Dunham, Provincial Training Officer

CASARA

AIR SAR EPISODES - from years gone by.

The era was in the mid to late 1970 time frame, the date was the long September weekend. The area was the horrendous Cathedral mountains just South of Keremeos, BC. This mountain range towers over 9,000 ft and is solid rock with some forested areas and the odd small lake. Within this mountain range there existed an exclusive lodge, I believe it was called the “Cathedral Lodge”.

Two ladies from Kelowna, both administrators at Okanagan College had planned to spend their long weekend at the Cathedral Lodge. I remember the name of one of the ladies, Betty Corkish. Having arrived at the lodge in mid afternoon they decided to take advantage of the many hiking trails provided at the lodge. Some how they made a wrong turn and did not return to the lodge by nightfall. Remember this is in September, high in the mountains where the temperature would dip to freezing during the night. They were reported missing and the RCMP notified, shortly after this the Provincial Emergency (PEP) ground team was tasked. Being late on Friday nothing was accomplished.

To the best of my recollection the ground search headquarters was situated just south of Keremeos, many miles away from the lodge. Searchers were out early Saturday morning, but searching miles away from the lodge. As the Zone Commander of the Central Zone I offered our air services on at least two occasions, but was advised that our services were not required. At approximately 3 p.m. I had a call from Mr. Jack Corkish, the husband of Betty Corkish. He was quite upset that the RCMP would not request air support from the Provincial Emergency Program. It was then decided that a call be made to PEP requesting a task number to commence the search. We took off in a well equipped C-182 with Roy Clemens as navigator and spotter Keith Brookfield. The second spotter was employed mapping the Province and knew the area very well.

We arrived at the search area in a very few minutes and made one pass over the entire area at approximately 11,000 ft, on our second pass the spotters noticed a small puff of smoke about 15 miles away. Descending and arriving over the smoke we could see the two ladies who appeared to be stranded beside a small lake. We made sure they knew that they had been spotted and then climbed back to 11,000 feet. Once there we notified Penticton tower and had the location of the ladies relayed to the lodge. The time now was approximately 1715 hrs. We remained over the area until we spotted a group from the lodge on their way to the stranded ladies.

The ladies were safely back at the lodge by the time we were back at Kelowna airport. Transit and search time: 2hours and 45 minutes. Had the ladies not been rescued that same night their survival chances would have been very low. Some days later the college sponsored a function honoring our crew for saving the lives of their two employees.

During the writer’s forty years in Air SAR there have been occasions when other search agencies have been reluctant to seek help or assistance from PEP/AIR. This attitude may have changed recently, a step in the right direction.

Chuck PachalPast Director

We have been advised by one of your members that most PEP Air SPOT beacons are registered to call JRCC at 250-363-2992. This is a non-emergency number and must be changed at the earliest opportunity. Our old emergency number, 250-363-2333 will continue to be active but the 2992 & 2995 numbers will be disconnected. Would you ensure that any beacon registrations using JRCC Victoria as an emergency contact use the this number: 250-413-8933.

Major James PierottiOfficer in ChargeJoint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria250-413-8928

Marie Woodruff joined PEP Air/CASARA in 1994 and invited Gord Wicks, a former flight instructor at the Victoria Flying Club, to join the next year. He's flown on several actual SAR missions, participated in the 2002 Provincial SAREX (his team won!) and served for many years as Victoria's Area Safety Officer. Renate joined in 2002 and her most memorable time in PEP Air was participating in the 2009 Provincial SAREX and SAR Beaver (C-GAQW) in March 2005 north of Campbell River.

Marie Woodruff (left), after presenting fifteen year wings to Gord Wicks, along with Renate Herberger

at PEP Headquarters in Victoria on July 8.

www.embc-air.org www.pep-air.org www.embc-air.org www.pep-air.org

After five and a half years with PEP Air I am finally getting a clear perspective as to the calibre of people and the scope of our impact all across Canada. First I was honoured to be chosen to take the Winter Survival course with the SAR Tech's and now I can tell you about another amazing experience, a training flight on the Buffalo with Sgt. Jean Tremblay.

Being in the Buffalo and included as part of the crew made me and the rest of the team realize how important our skills and preparedness matter to the overall outcome of the search. Though the training was quick it was thorough and gave us all a clear understanding of what is expected of us when we fly with the military on a tasking.

Again I have to thank Sgt. Jean Tremblay for his patience and willingness to share a small piece of his training and knowledge with the volunteers of PEP Air. We are a dedicated bunch and greatly appreciate the time investment to train us so that we may assist when the need arises.

Left to right: Sheila Gruenwald, Sgt. Jean Tremblay, Mark Sellis, Lorne Savident, Allan Schaad, Dave Ireland and Andre Pinette.

by

Sheila GruenwaldWilliams Lake

Buffalo Qualification Flight

CASARA claims must be submitted to Winnipeg within 60 days of the Task (keep in mind these claims make two stops before getting to Winnipeg). The CASARA "Outreach" program only has 14 days to get to Winnipeg. Legitimate claims have been denied due to the tardiness of their submission. In one case our Society is paying the dated claim while the other claim is now coming from Zone funds as opposed to the "Outreach" funds. - Tom Fisher, Zone Cmdr, SW-04

On June 29, 2011 the BC ground search and rescue community lost one of their own. Sheliah Sweatman, a member of the Nelson SAR group, died tragically during a swiftwater tasking near Creston. A memorial was held on July 23 in Nelson to honor Sheliah's ultimate sacrifice and celebrate her life. There was a formal parade led by police motorcycles and a pipe band along the waterfront from Nelson airport to the soccer fields where the ceremony was held. The event was well attended by a cross section of the SAR and emergency response communities, including members of PEP Air. Thanks to all those members of PEP Air who attended and participated, as well as Don MacKinnon, Zone Commander for the Southeast Region and his group for organizing a fly by at the ceremony consisting of three PEP Air fixed wing and three local rotary wing aircraft. The air procession was led by the three fixed wing and followed up by a missing man formation with the rotary wing. Thanks also to those members of PEP Air who transported the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team to the area shortly after the tragic event. Post-event CISM is an essential part of any traumatic event and transporting team members to the affected in a timely manner is critical.

Sheilah Sweatman Memorial

The spotter video “A Matter of Life or Death” is now available on the casara.ca web page.

It is 162 MB and takes about ten minutes to download.

This year’s BC Provincial Sarex was held in Kamloops, June 10-12. Six CASARA aircraft arrived from around BC to participate in the Sarex on Saturday. The weather on that weekend was a mixed bag with rain and low cloud in some regions, however, all aircraft made it. Accommodation was provided for everyone at the nearby Accent Inn, with transportation arranged from the airport in the valley to the inn on the hill.

On Saturday, everyone had to be up early for breakfast at off to the airport for an 8 a.m. mass briefing. Teams were individually briefed in random order and given maps to plot waypoints for the search. An undisclosed number of targets were placed along the search route. In addition to the search, each team had to do an aerial ELT search and a ground ELT search. There were time limits for each part of the exercise. Penalty points were awarded for missed targets, exceeding time limits or failure to complete items, with the aim being to have the least points. Clouds and showers did affect some teams.

It was stressed that this was not a competition, however, there were certificates for first, second and third places, afterwhich there was a BBQ with absolutely superb steaks and chicken served. It goes without saying that some folks hung around and socialized long after the BBQ. Our team was from the Lower Mainland, Zone SW 04. After consultation with our pilot, Randy Elkins ( of Pemberton, and Tom Fisher, Zone Commander, it was decided that Randy would fly from Pemberton with one spotter Val Lowe, to pick up Wilf Braun, (spotter) and me as navigator, at Abbotsford Airport. This was all weather dependant. Between Abbotsford and Hope, we had to get down as low as 1,800' due to cloud. However, once past Hope, the situation improved and we followed the Coquihalla Highway for a ways and then across to Kamloops where it was glorious. After the mass briefing on Saturday, we waited for our turn to be briefed for the search. We ended up being briefed last which was good and bad. Any kinks were ironed out by then, and the weather was better, but the BBQ had to wait until we finished. Someone was delegated to be sure our L-Helper was on board for the ELT search, but somehow (not telling you how!), it was left on the ground, so we had to do an aural null. Not the end of the world. We did find nine out of the ten targets so scored very well on that. Actually, we documented fifteen targets but some of them were not search targets. Back to base, do a ground ELT, debrief and ready for awards, then BBQ. A good time was had by all, and it is a bonding experience to participate in events like this. Well done, Kamloops, for a great event and outstanding steaks!

6 a.m. then

a learning experience and

C-FGPI)

Provincial Sarexin

KamloopsBy Peggy Gordon

Peggy Gordon, Val Lowe, Randy Elkinsand Wilf Braun.

A few thoughts on safe flight at this time seems appropriate as we move into fall and winter. I know it is hard to think about winter like conditions when we are sitting in front of the air conditioner looking outside at the heat shimmering off of the tarmac but as a wise old aviator once told me “in most of this country we can get snow or frost any month of the year”. With that somewhat depressing thought in mind as I sit in my air conditioned office with 27C on the outside thermometer, I would like to put forward a few items for consideration for the coming season.

Are you wearing appropriate clothing for the flight? Could you stay outside for a few days in the gear you are wearing? It may be 30C on the tarmac on your departure but what are the night time temperatures going to be in the mountains you are intending to fly over. What will the weather be like outside the terminal building at your destination? What about your passengers, are they also prepared? Use appropriate filters when refuelling to ensure that water doesn't enter the aircraft fuel system. If possible, leave your tanks full to avoid condensation. Make sure all ice, frost and snow is removed from the aircraft. Even a small amount of frost can have a significant effect on performance. Check pitot tubes, static ports, fuel vents and control surfaces for ice blocking them. Run sufficient fuel from the quick drains to ensure there is no water or other contaminants in the fuel. Inspect mufflers and cabin heaters for possible sources of carbon monoxide. Now might be a good time to think about installing a new CO detector.

Manage your engine temperatures. Some aircraft have devices installed for cold weather operation that can lead to overheating if not used correctly. Shock cooling can also be an issue, follow the manufacturer's recommended procedures. When starting, be wary of over priming as excess fuel in the induction system can create a fire hazard. Have an alternate airfield planned in case for some reason your destination becomes unusable.File a flight plan and stick to it. Consider using a tracking device such as a SPOT. There are other more sophisticated devices and services on the market as well. This seems to be good advice no matter what the time of year.

The days are starting to grow noticeably shorter at this time of year. Make sure your arrival is planned for before dark unless you are night rated and your destination is lighted. Give some thought to the emergency gear you carry. Will it be sufficient for you and your passengers to stay warm and dry enough to survive?My flight instructor gave me some advice nearly thirty years ago: ”Never let an airplane take you someplace that your head hasn't already been at for at least twenty minutes”. Sound advice then and now.

Don McDonaldProvincial PEP Air Safety Officer

Are you ready for

WINTER?

1) 50.95136 -122.8754

2) 50° 57.0816'N 122° 52.524' W

3) 50° 57' 04.896” N 122° 52' 31.44”W

4) 10 U 508752 5644423

Question: What is the difference between the following sets of coordinates and where would you see these formats? You should be able to easily determine the difference between the first three.

Answer: All of these coordinates specify the same location. In Air SAR we need to be familiar with and convert between them.

Until recently the first format for stating coordinates was seldom seen but SPOT beacons relay GPS location in this format i.e., dd.dddd (degrees and decimal degrees). You must be able to take this format and convert it to what we generally use in Air SAR i.e., dd mm.mmm (degrees, minutes and decimal minutes). To convert from the SPOT format to the format we generally use in Air SAR you would take 50.95136 and convert it to 50° and .95136 * 60 ( number of minutes in a degree) to get 50° 57.0816'. The same would be done with the longitude conversion.

Formats three and four are formats generally used by GSAR. A GSAR team might advise you to search the area specified by these coordinates. Conversion from the third format to our usual format (format two) would be as follows. Look at the conversion of the longitude position in format three. To convert 122° 52' 31.44” you would simply take 31.44”/60 to get .524' which is a conversion you can almost do in your head. So, 122° 52' 31.44” becomes 122° 52.524'. Get the idea?

The fourth format is referred to as UTM, the format generally used by GSAR for a number of reasons. This conversion can be done using a web site conversion located at http://www.rcn.montana.edu/resources/tools/coordinates.aspx You can plug in one set of coordinates and get the other three formats easily (providing you have web access). And, lastly you should know that our PEP GPS units (Etrex Legend Model HCx) allow us to select location in any one of these formats and in fact to display two different formats simultaneously. (Go to the “setup” menu and then “units”. The trip computer page is the screen where you can select two data fields to display location in two different formats). So, your GPS unit can actually do the conversion for you.

by Allister PedersenCranbrook Training Officer

Location Formats

Hello from 442 Squadron’s CASARA Liason Office! I hope your summer was safe and that you had great fun with family, friends and had a chance to reload the batteries if needed before the cold months. As some of you know 442 Sqn CL Officer, Capt Mike Brush retired from the Reserve Force and found employment in Montreal with the Chinook helicopter flight simulator, preparing helicopter pilots for the new Chinook Canada bought. We wish him the best in his new civilian career and patience with the downtown Montreal traffic.

We have a new CLO, Capt Marc Archambault. He is a Buffalo pilot and has volunteered to take this position until a suitable Reservist replacement is found. If nobody applies for the CLO position. Mark will be with us until he transfers out, which will probably be in two to three years. Welcome aboard!

What else is new here at 442 Squadron? Well…it's sure not the good old CC115 Dehavilland Buffalo aircraft. The Buff as we call it, was built in Toronto in the early Sixties and is still a very capable SAR platform which has seen many upgrades over the years. The latest was the BALE project, Buffalo Avionics Life Extension. This project was to update the capabilities with the latest technology. These upgrades were for the navigation, GPS, VHS systems and also the EAI (Electronic Altitude Indicator)as well as the EHASI (Electronic Horizontal Altitude Situational Indicator).

During the summer the Buffalo fleet was plagued with various serviceability issues as well as the normal schedule of periodic maintenance which limited the amount of time available aircraft for training and operational missions. These same issues will probably affect our operations in a similar way even with a new fixed wing aircraft, just as we have experienced with the CH149 Cormorant helicopter on a few occasions.

On behalf of 442 Squadron, I would like to thank all PEP Air personnel involved with the spotter training for their patience, dedication and understanding during these challenging times, specially the last minute cancellations.That's it for now, see you guys soon!

Sergent Jean Tremblay442 Squadron SAR TechCASARA Liaison Office

The Cormorant helicopter and the Buffalo.

442 Squadron

Liaison

On the evening of August 31, 2005 spotter-in-training Ernie Robinson received a phone call from then Air Deputy Clark Borth in Kamloops. There was an aircraft overdue from Vavenby to Chilliwack and 442 Squadron needed spotters for the Buffalo first thing in the morning. “Could he come to the Flying Club tonight to complete the last of his Milspot training and be ready for the morning?”

Little did Ernie realize that when he said “yes” he would spend the next thirteen days flying more than fifty-eight hours on SAR Hough, and within four years he would total ninety-nine hours flying Milspot. He has had pie many times in Chilliwack while the aircraft and crew refuelled on their seven hour missions after “shooting” the canyons in BC's mountains. Quite an adventure for a retired railroad man with no previous flying time.

Ernie also completed his navigator training and is certified in both positions. He is a “perfect” C-172 crew member; light weight, sharp eyes, lives close to the airport, and willing to drop anything to help others. It's people like Ernie that make me proud to be a member of this organization. I know, if needed, he would gladly put in another ninety-nine hours.

PS: Since this article was written Ernie has passed the 100 hour mark on SAR in military aircraft.

By Chuck Henderson, Past Provincial Training Officer

Deadline for articles for the December issue is November 31st.

99Hours & counting....

This newsletter requires input from you! So, if you did anything, are, or will be doing something in your zone, let me know (and thereby everyone else) with a brief and snappy article...remember however, that this is not the place for the Great Canadian Novel, “How To” pieces or those of an instructional bent. These would best be placed as links on our website, although serialized articles are acceptable...first and fo remos t , th i s i s a NEWS l e t te r. Accompanying interesting photos would be wonderful but they must be captioned. Write them, get them to me and I’ll do the rest.

Looking for articles, send them to me,

Trevor Black

[email protected]