SAR and General Questions

[Grimmysnr]

I am currently active duty Air Force stationed up at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Iv got a few questions...Iv always been into aviation, more so into helicopters simply because of the ability to employ them in almost every situation. Obviously, they are not used so much for extended long range travel but i find that quite uneventful especially being an aircraft maintainer that travels around on c-130/17's.

 

Iv been interested in the Search and Rescue field of the helicopter industry and more so thinking about going from active duty to guard. Living in Alaska i can see the rescue unit here is exceptionally busy and i feel that playing a part in helping others who are stuck in unfortunate situations is quite rewarding. I am a few credits away from my CCAF in Aeronautical Science and about 32 or so credits from my bachelors from Embry Riddle. So i was wondering..

 

Does anybody work SAR in Alaska or any other part of the world?

 

Whats life like from day to day?

 

What did it take for you to get to that stage of your life?

 

I know of a place called Alpine Air? in Girdwood, Alaska about 40 miles south of Anchorage that aparently offers helo training. Ground School, tests, flight time etc etc. Has anyone heard of this school or heard of its reputation? I checked around Anchorage even the airport downtown and all the schools i have talked to only offer fixed wing training.

 

My last question is actually quite important to me. I flew/fly around on c-17's and any typical passenger aircraft all the time going all over the world. I have never had a problem about motion sickness unless of course i was drinking the night before. But for some reason i went up in a little Cessna 172 with a friend of mine and was sick the entire flight; happened on just a couple occasions. So..

 

Is this something that you generally get used to over time?

 

Have you ever been working and had this happen to you?

 

What would you suggest to combat this type thing?

 

Sorry for the long post, I just think before i start tossing money at this new career field that i get a feel for what lies ahead. Also when flying around in a Cessna and getting sick after all the other time on other aircraft certainly surprised me. Any information is greatly appreciated.

 

Take Care,

 

-J

[Gomer Pylot]

AFAIK there is little or no civilian SAR in the US, and certainly not in the lower 48. The USCG does all the SAR. You might check Australia and Europe.

[AndrewT]

AFAIK there is little or no civilian SAR in the US, and certainly not in the lower 48.

 

There is a civilian SAR volunteer group in connecticut, though I'm unsure the website or what they do exactly. The USCG does do most of the SAR missions, but the Air Guard can be tasked for SAR also, so can the national guard (medevac units), and even the navy reserve (I remember reading that on some DOD website). So, you're options aren't really limited. SAR is also my mission profile choice when it comes to flying

[Grimmysnr]

Yeah im not too sure of any CAP rescue squadrons but i do know the squadron out of Kulis regularly gets tasked for SAR. I like being in the military and if i found that this is something i wanted to pursue i was probably going to join the guard unit here in Alaska.

[HH60Pilot]

Yeah im not too sure of any CAP rescue squadrons but i do know the squadron out of Kulis regularly gets tasked for SAR. I like being in the military and if i found that this is something i wanted to pursue i was probably going to join the guard unit here in Alaska.

 

The CAP has squadrons in most every state, but they are all fixed-wing. The Air National Guard has the 210th RQS at Kulis, the 129th RQS at Moffett Field (my old unit) and the 102nd in New York. The AFRES has several rescue units scattered about the country as well. All units are flying the HH-60G Pavehawk, as far as I know.

 

You may want to wander over to the 210th and check with someone there that can give you the current picture. The Air National Guard used to be able to get education waivers for individuals, with certain requirements met, to get their commission prior to finishing a bachelors degree. The recruiting office at the 210th should be able to tell you if the ANG is still offering that. If you are only a few credits away from getting your AA from CCAF, it would be worth looking into.

 

Doug

[Firepilot]

The closest you would be able to get to doing SAR in the civilian world (other than some law enforcement agencies) would be on a National Park Service contract. There are a few parks around the country that use helicopters for SAR (in addition to fire fighting) Places like Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Teton, Denali etc. They contract the helicopters out to private companies. Once you get on with a company that has one of the contracts, you would need to meet the basic OAS card requirements and be able to pass a Short-haul checkride (i.e. be very proficient at precision long-line)

[Flying Pig]

In Law Enforcement, SAR is primarily the responsibility of the Sheriff at least in Ca. If they dont have the capability, it usually falls on the State Police or Highway Patrol. Ca. is unique because so many Sheriff's departments out here have aviation. Otherwise, the CHP will assist with Air assets if they are available. With my Dept, we routinely assist other counties with our helicopters free of charge. Our county is 6000 sq. miles, with 2700 of that being the Sierras. So we stay busy.