[Dino]

I fly from an uncontrolled strip and although there may be other people around, no-one knows I've gone flying, so if I failed to return no-one would know !

The usual advice is to tell someone when you expect to be back.
I'd rather not do that so I've been looking into automated/ delayed emails etc.
I can't find a solution that works well.
Outlook for example is happy to delay sending an email but only works if the program is running at the scheduled time - if I've crashed somewhere that's unlikey to work

Any ideas??

[Peter Gristwood]

Try a PLB

[Flyin'Dutch']

The usual advice is to tell someone when you expect to be back.
I'd rather not do that ..

You don't want to tell someone that you are going but would like to tell someone when you're not back or crashed.



Who would you want to know the latter, and what would you like them to do?

[riverrock]

Google-mail allows you to send a "scheduled" email - so you could schedule it in the future, then cancel it when you get back.
What would you say though - where would the receiver of the email start undue action? Would you carry a tracker, with a link to the tracker in your email ( https://www.findmespot.com/en-gb/produc ... gen4-plans )?

Carrying a PLB anyway is a good idea, but you do have to be capable of activating it. ELTs have had a bad rep, with false activations and failures to activate or be effective in incidents (as damaged or signal masked).

You could ensure you always have an ATC service from someone, but that isn't going to protect you from a landing incident at your unmanned strip.

[BoeingBoy]

We send our dog sitter a Facebook message to say we got home okay. If she's not heard from us by a certain hour she initiates a search; News/Airport/Friends etc.

[PeteSpencer]

I don't think I'd be missed.................

Seriously though: If I'm going across the Channel. 'er indoors becomes my 'responsible adult' for the return trip.

Otherwise if I'm not a tom in time for 'us tea she hits the red button.....................

[Spamcan Defender]

I don't think I'd be missed.................

Seriously though: If I'm going across the Channel. 'er indoors becomes my 'responsible adult' for the return trip.

Otherwise if I'm not a tom in time for 'us tea she hits the red button.....................

But surely your (mandatory) FPL will help you in that instance???


SD

[Dave W]

Unfortunately not.

There's no requirement to close an FPL in the UK and if you don't nobody will come looking. What triggers that search is a report from your designated "Responsible Person".

See para. 9 of the VFR Flight Plans Safety Sense Leaflet or p165 of The Skyway Code.

[PeteSpencer]

I don't think I'd be missed.................

Seriously though: If I'm going across the Channel. 'er indoors becomes my 'responsible adult' for the return trip.

Otherwise if I'm not a tom in time for 'us tea she hits the red button.....................

But surely your (mandatory) FPL will help you in that instance???


SD

Not in the UK: no mandate to close FPL.

However, if you don't close yer FPL on arrival in France you're in deep doo-doo............

(aha crossed with @Dave W )

[Ibra]

But surely your (mandatory) FPL will help you in that instance???

YES: if you fall out of the sky while talking to ATS
NO: if you leave frequency to land (or on freecall enroute not talk to anyone)

Actually you are legally required to nominate someone from your family or friends to initiate SAR if flying from UK strips on active FPL, as they are not closed and time out is not monitored…it’s in the law and in AIP, so here you go that probably answers NO FPL case as well if you want someone to know

We used to park the car on the aircraft parking pad with our phone numbers on the windshield, I once got a call one after I extended my stay to check if everything is ok, the call happened one week after I left, pretty sure that technique was not very useful: I would be dead in the bushes with flat battery and I won’t be able to answer

As said above, if you want someone to find you get PLB or ELT plus fully charged phone attached to yourself

[Genghis the Engineer]

Surely all of us have friends and family. How hard is it to arrange to routinely send somebody a text / whatsapp message / email / whatever saying "Today I'm doing X, if you don't hear from me by 1800 could you give me a call, and if I'm silent raise the alarm" ?

G

[flyingearly]

I'm not sure if it muddies the water, but if you have a Garmin Watch or if you install the Strava App on your phone, there is the ability to provide real-time tracking to a specific contact (including, I believe, a text to say you've got back OK, once the activity is uploaded).

Of course, the app is designed for running/cycling etc, but I can't see why you can't put your flying under 'other'.....it'll probably suggest you've burnt 18,000 calories for the effort, which should be a bit of a boost too.

[Fellsteruk]

Of course, the app is designed for running/cycling etc, but I can't see why you can't put your flying under 'other'.....it'll probably suggest you've burnt 18,000 calories for the effort, which should be a bit of a boost too.

That’s one way for me to hit my calorie burn count

[Hooligan]

Wasn't there a case a few years ago of a US aerobatic competition pilot who crashed out in the boondocks during a practice in California and wasn't missed for three days?

[CloudHound]

The wonderful comedian Michael Bentine’s son lay dead for weeks in the wreckage of a Piper Cub not that many miles from Blackbushe.