Today I added some survival equipment to the baggage compartment of FLYO.

CAR 602.61 requires that:
no person shall operate an aircraft over land unless there is carried on board survival equipment, sufficient for the survival on the ground of each person on board, given the geographical area, the season of the year and anticipated seasonal climatic variations, that provides the means for

(a) starting a fire;
(b) providing shelter;
(c) providing or purifying water; and
(d) visually signalling distress.

Also there are a bunch of exceptions, so for example you don’t need to carry survival equipment on:
an aircraft that is operated in a geographical area where and at a time of year when the survival of the persons on board is not jeopardized.

Leaving aside the legal issue of whether the law required you to have survival equipment in Southern Ontario in good weather, here’s what’s in the back of FLYO.

For starting a fire

For fire-making I included a box of waterproof matches, a flint and steel, and a bag of petroleum jelly-impregnated cotton pads. The cotton pads make excellent tinder, and the flint and steel are a very very easy, reliable way to ignite them. The cotton pad acts as a wick for the petroleum jelly which burns nicely and with a hot flame for nearly a minute. To make a fire you still need to collect kindling (small dry sticks) and fuel (medium to large pieces of wood, for example) but the soaked cotton pads give you the best chance of getting a fire going with what you have collected. The matches are there because some people may not be comfortable with the flint and steel, but the matches are actually a lot more tricky to use outdoors, especially if there’s a stiff breeze.

For shelter

To give shelter there’s a 6 foot by 8 foot plastic tarpaulin and a 30′ length of rope. Tie the rope between two trees, or one tree and a rock, and drape the tarp over it. Then weight the edges of the tarp with rocks or whatever you can find. Hey-presto – a makeshift shelter for warmth or shade. In winter, add branches and leaves to the outside for insulation. If this is too much, you can just wrap yourself in the tarpaulin to keep warm.

For water

A 1 litre zip-lock bag and some water purifying tablets are provided. Fill the bag with whatever water you can find, add one or two tablets and wait thirty minutes. In fact even if you don’t have water purifying tablets it’s still better to drink whatever water you can find. Water-borne diseases take a day or two to take hold by which time (you hope) you will have been rescued, and are in circumstances where they can be treated. That’s way better than suffering from dehydration in a remote location.

For signalling

FLYO has an Emergency Locator Transmitter – all airplanes do, as it’s required by law. But they’re not 100% reliable for summoning aid. Sometimes they’re destroyed, and sometimes they don’t activate properly. If you carry out an emergency landing you should have some other means for signalling for help with you in the airplane.

I have provided what I think are the two most effective ways of attracting attention from afar. Firstly there’s a day-glo orange flag, about 3′ by 4′, with ties around the edge. If you can spread this out in a clear area or tie it at the top of whatever foliage is around, it will stand out. An aircraft can be swallowed up in trees and become nearly invisible from the air, so under those circumstances putting the orange flag where it can be seen will assist those trying to find you.

Second, there’s a signalling mirror. A 2 inch by 3 inch mirror reflecting the sun can be seen by aircraft up to 25 miles away. If the sun is out this is by far the most effective tool you have at your disposal. The mirror includes an optical aiming device which while easy to use is not necessarily intuitive. There are instructions printed on the back, and I will be happy to go through how to use it with you.

Finally, there’s a rescue whistle. A good hard blow is audible for a half-mile, much further than you can hear someone shouting.

Other stuff

I also included a sharp knife – which is your most important tool in a survival situation. And – since every takeoff and landing at the Island is over water, there are two airline-style life vests. One of them is unwrapped, and I will make you practice putting it on while flying. Like all emergency tasks, it’s important to practice using what you have to hand.

What if…

I don’t think that you’ll ever need to use any of this equipment for real. But if, for some reason, you find that you do, I will be glad that you had it with you. For the price (other than the life vests, about $50) and the weight (about 2lbs) it seems a bargain.