>However you are still allowed to carry a handheld
>ELT which is what I do across the water. At least with the handheld if
>your aircraft should sink after a ditching you still have your location
>aid. Be under no illusion it can be very difficult for the rescue
>services to see you if there is only your head sticking out the water.
>Your biggest risk with a ditching is not surviving the water landing it
>is hypothermia afterwards therefore a location aid is essential. When I
>did search training in C130's it is possible to miss seeing a 26 man
>liferaft if the sea conditions are anything but calm.
>
>Nigel Charles
Nigel
We lost a friend this way 10 years ago after a North Sea ditching. He did
have an automatic ELT on his life jacket but it was upside down and the
signal wasn't radiating. It took 15 hours to find him. Too long.
Graham
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