[MilCom] Facts, Questions, & Opinions -- Kim Family Tragedy/Mountain Climbers Search Oregon & Military Advanced Technology Resources Utilization versus KISS

[Ken]

Did they also use the C130 with FLIR capabilities during the Kim family 
tragedy in Oregon in late November/early December?  I can't find anything 
that specifically related to the use of the C130 aircraft.  Remember that 
the Kim family was found by a volunteer using his own helicopter who flew up 
a road where a tragedy had occurred many years before & found them!!!

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/67318.aspx
http://www.alaskareport.com/z44986.htm
http://bangordailynews.com/news/t/sports.aspx?articleid=144245&zoneid=23

One has to wonder how good this technology really is in those weather 
conditions, since the Kim's plight involved actually burning tires etc to 
keep warm.  See this article here which basically mentions FLIR utilization 
by an AF helo?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/17/ING08MTPMD1.DTL&type=tech

Information on the NV ANG wing can be found here:
http://www.nv.ngb.army.mil/air/airWing.cfm

I remember many years ago attending an open house/Air Show at Hanscom AFB, 
MA -- tucked away in the hangar was a small exhibit by one of the AF 
Research Labs that specifically covered various FLIR and other emerging 
sensor technologies and the challenges that the weather present to this 
technology and how some very smart people were working on solving those 
challenges!!!

As many of you know today (for the 3 person Mt Hood climber search) the 
military actually dug a snow cave & put an individual in it & than had the 
C130 fly to get a "signature" of what it would look like on the sensor 
operators CRT monitor.  So to a certain extent, this is experimental, 
especially as it pertains to personnel in snow caves.

So lets keep search & rescue simple (KISS), with some very simplex low cost 
radio communications!!!

Wonder how well an FRS radio on Channel 1 (462.5625 mhz NFM), no CTCSS would 
operate in a (mountain climbers) snow cave(s) perhaps 8 to 10 feet deep? 
Range would probably be in feet rather in a mile(s)?!!  BUT for the Kim 
family out in the open not covered by snow, this simple inexpensive $15.00 
device, transmitting in the blind on the hour & half hour for 5 minutes or 
so may have resulted in a different outcome.    OF course, one has to have a 
National Plan to do get people to do this.     Not sure even if we have any 
REACT monitoring of  CB channel 9 (27.065 mhz AM mode).  Surely I carry a 
cellphone (surely, the best method for getting emergency help MOST OF THE 
TIME).  I also carry a mobile CB & antenna in my vehicle, as well as one of 
those combo FRS/GMRS radio, just in case the cellphone won't work....   BUT 
will anyone actually be actively monitoring to help?

I also would like to point out again that there's many so called radio 
experts that have some sort of a problem with the implementation of the FRS 
channel #1 concept, due to the communication range.  Granted for the most 
part it is a 1 mile or less range.  BUT when you add height (such as in 
mountain/hill ) or height as in aircraft & helicopters, these little comm 
devices have a very significiant potential for saving lives in an emergency.

As many of you know Civil Air Patrol has changed it's policy regarding FRS 
usage & their teams may be equipped with these radios to potentially contact 
victims they are searching for.

So it's time to get the word out to EVERYONE, family, friends, newspapers,TV 
stations, etc, about the FRS Channel 1 concept... IF you have the capability 
in your scanner, than program in all the emergency/quasi emergency 
frequencies to monitor just in case (e.g. the marine, aircraft VHF/UHF 
(121.5/243.0), CB #9 (27.065 mhz), FRS #1 (462.5625 mhz), GMRS (462.675), 
Amateur (146.52?), etc) & monitor them, both mobile & at your base!!!   and 
if you are authorized to transmit on these frequencies all the better to 
have that capability also!!!

Comments Public or Private!!!

Ken





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ken" <rfinder1 at verizon.net>
To: "MilCom" <milcom at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 2:02 PM
Subject: [MilCom] OR Climbers Search Military Involvement -- C130 Video


> Check out the NV ANG's C130 video/FLIR ops at:
> http://www.katu.com/
> "Birds Eye View of Climbers Search"