[MilCom] Hobbyists Availability for Future FRS Radio Potential Emergency Air/Ground Transmissions Study?

[Ken]

I'm sure many of you may have followed the news reports on the Kim family 
tragedy in Oregon
http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-6141498.html  .. We've had discussions on 
various groups on the feasibility of an FRS radio utilizing Channel #1 
(462.5625 mhz) calling channel being an adequate communications device for 
victims to communicate with airborne search assets.

I'm considering chartering a small private aircraft within the next month or 
so (probably on a Saturday morning, depending upon volunteer & aircraft 
availability, as well as weather conditions) to test my theory on FRS 
portable radio transmissions range from the ground to a simulated search 
aircraft utilizing only an FRS portable radio and a scanner portable radio 
receiver.  Additionally, if 2 to 3 hobbyists would also like to fly in the 
plane (with their radio gear (FRS radio/portable scanners), that would 
significantly reduce my overall costs.

I'm looking at Barnes Municipal (KBAF) Westfield (MA) primary and 
Northampton Airport (7B2), MA as the alternate aircraft takeoff & base test 
sites.

Basically all test volunteer hobbyists would need to have FRS radio, capable 
of operating on all authorized FRS radio frequencies with or without CTCSS & 
also a mobile/portable scanner capable of operating on the VHF aero band 
(118-136 mhz)).  Most hobbyist(s) would be the ground station component(s) 
of the test.  Of course one team would be right at the airport and if we get 
enough volunteers additional transmissions test sites would be set up 
throughout the region.  AGAIN if some hobbyists would also like to fly and 
pay their share of the cost that would also be available.

Some potential additional "higher ground" portable ground test transmision 
sites (all accessible by vehicle) could be:

*Skinner State Park S.Hadley/Hadley MA 
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/skin.htm
*Mount Tom State Reservation, Easthampton, MA 
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/mtom.htm
*Holyoke Range State Park "The Notch", Amherst, MA 
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/hksp.htm
*Quabbin Hill Tower (Quabbin Reservoir) Ware/Belchertown, MA
*Bald Peak/Hovey Hill area,  Bald Peak Rd/Hovey Hill Rd, Monson MA

We'd also consider some lower level sites in Amherst, Northampton, 
Easthampton, Belchertown, Granby, Ludlow, S. Hadley, Chicopee, Agawam, 
Southwick MA (I do not think that Springfield MA would be a good test site). 
If others further out would also like to be include in the test (such as in 
southern Vermont or Northern Conneticut, Central Massachusetts areas), I 
would also consider this.

I'm still working on the overal test procedures to follow, so I'd be 
interested in some ideas from the groups via private email.

IF you aren interested in participating (either as a portable ground station 
or actually flying in the test aircraft), please send me a private email 
message to rfinder1 at verizon.net

Thank you!!

Ken
Springfield MA Monitoring Area