Civil Air Search and Rescue Association - Manitoba

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Spruce Woods GSAR (Ground Search and Rescue) Joint Exercise with the Office of the Fire Commissioner, The Rangers, RCMP and Search and Rescue Guests

August 24, 2008:

This Ground Search and Rescue SAREX was again held in rugged Spruce Woods Provincial Park east of Brandon and south of Carberry. GSAR teams from across the Province competed in timed searches.

With an invitation for CASARA to participate, President John Davidson, wife Elaine Davidson and Provincial Training Officer Terry Lumb took in the full day from Winnipeg to demonstrate the air technique of ELT homing manning the practice ELT tagged "Big Bear". Demonstration search Cardinal CASARA 5-1 had spotter Bill Campbell, new navigator Kevin Nickel and pilot Kevin Choy fly the mission. No initial coordinates, hints or tips other than "in Spruce Woods" comprised the tasking. From Brandon Airport (CYBR) departure an initial aural and meter detection on aircraft radio and Little L-Per occurred 15NM east of CYBR Brandon at 5,500' above sea level (roughly 4,000' above ground).

The completion and confirmation of the homing took a total of 13 minutes including flying a deviating practice Shore-Crawl pattern south of Camp Shilo restricted military airspace along the Assiniboine River.

CASARA 5-1 (photo by Terry Lumb)

CASARA 5-1 then proceeded to execute the practice search patterns of Creeping Line Ahead, Aural Null, Sector Search and Expanding Square.

Little L-Per
Other Zone 2 aircraft led by CASARA 2-1 (pilot Bill Tostowaryk), followed by CASARA 2-2 (Roy Sobchuk) and CASARA 2-3 (Rollie Kuip) entered the search for the Big Bear ELT from the north (Carberry) unannounced.1 (CASARA 5-1 immediately climbed and became CAP (communication air platform) relaying directions and information between the three search aircraft, base command at CYBR and target Big Bear. After successful homing, each aircraft was then sequentially directed to new coordinates to execute an expanding square search pattern.

Terry Lumb presented and enabled GSAR attendees to work the Little L-Per apparatus in homing a ground target until 1500 local. John and Elaine continued demonstrations and testing of the Little L-Per equipment and methodology to the remaining 5 GSAR teams until 1800 local. Deputy Zone 3 Commander Keven Iles also attended representing the Rangers and met up with his fellow CASARA searchers.

The SAREX ended with presentations and evaluative comments by Provincial team leaders and government representatives from Ottawa and the national Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada.

1Good airmanship is announcing position and intentions before entering the known search area with aircraft on task

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elaine and John Davidson

Base Command

Targets

Targets

 

Air ELT Homing Coordinates by Aircraft

ELT 49 43.521 99 12.596
CASARA 5-1 49 43.60 99 12.76
CASARA 2-1 49 43.23 99 12.22
CASARA 2-2 49 43.00 99 12.76
CASARA 2-3 NA NA NA NA
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