SAREVAL

[afgeo4]

NYWG just scored an overall "OUTSTANDING" on their USAF SAR Evaluation. With the USAF EVAL officer stating that it was the best performance he's seen in his two years doing this. Makes me wish my group had sent a team.

[Pumbaa]

Glad to hear that! 

BRAVO!!

Yesterday we were tasked to be High-Bird and were heading to Westchester. 


Leaving the clear skys of Binghamton NY, we climbed to 10,000 feet and were hoping to orbit and work our magic.  At first we heard nothing on the CAP radio but static, that was channel 4. On channel 1, we had some yokels talking about chicken farming!!!  We continued to head South/East and finally heard something on channel 4, but... no one could hear us.  We could hear conversations about us, wondering where we were, I believe they were even going to send a plane out to see if we were still on the ground at Tri-Cities.  We also tried an alternate frequency on the plane radios, but no one appeared to be monitoring.

CAN ANYBODY HEAR US!?!?! We not quite like that, but you get the point.

We continued everything we possibly could to get the CAP radio to transmit, but decided we needed to get in contact with the mission HQ, post haste. 

It was time to get on the ground. 

Additionally, some storm clouds were moving, and remember... if you don't like the weather in this part of NY, just wait a few minutes... it'll change!!

So we set down in Middletown, NY... 

Oh yeah... nature calls too... yaknow?   

While comfortably on the ground, and I mean bladder comfort, we were discussing topping off fuel, the short runway,  the weather, the overriding point was the front that was moving in, we checked a few times with weather services (while on a cell phone with mission HQ) and we discussed safety in continuing towards HPN.

We made the right choice and let safety trump all and aborted... heading back to Binghamton.  Weather was clear at home, bad at the destination planned... Time to go home!

Puttering along a 6000 feet we were concerned about icing on the wings as it quickly became an IFR trip. It is nice to have two instrument rated pilots, who also know what they are comfortable with.  Pilot, Observer and Scanner were watching the wings, tail etc for icing. Of course ever vigilant scanning the sky around the 172 for anything that could come out of those gray skies. As we got closer to home we dropped to 4000 feet and could see the ground again, and any little ice (very little thankfully) melted away.

Yesterday was a great example of crew management, crew communication and participation.  Safety was paramount, as it always should be. Some would say it was a failed mission.  I would dare say, it was a success!

From what I also understand, not long after we decided to abort, all planes were also grounded at HPN due to weather.  So in that aspect we made the right choice as we would have been stuck quite a ways from home, perhaps for the night.

[afgeo4]

I understand that the Air Force likes smart decisions when it comes to the safety of their aircraft. Good call on the turn back, especially since your equipment was malfunctioning.

[Al Sayre]

There is no flight you HAVE to make during peacetime...  Good call!

[Pumbaa]

Thanks...

Figure I need to save my butt so I can head over to Kuwait in July...

Yep.. it is supposed to happen.. Kuwait.. July.. Hot Hot Hot!

[afgeo4]

I'll take Kuwait in July over Bagram in January any day.