Dress for Distress: How to Be Found after a Precautionary Landing or Ditching

Rotor Safety Challenge (RSC)
Tracks: Safety; Operations
Instructor: Will D. Johnson

Most helicopter operators carry the requisite minimum emergency equipment on their aircraft (and it’s all current and in working order, right?). Prudent flight crews may even have items they keep in their pockets. But when you find yourself unexpectedly standing—or swimming—next to your no-longer-flying aircraft, what equipment really matters to the searchers who are coming to find you, and can you get to it? This session will share information on what types of equipment works, what types may not, and what you should keep close to vest so you can dress for distress.

Instructor Bio

Commander Will D. Johnson has 20 years of US Coast Guard service and almost three decades of experience with search-and-rescue (SAR), fire, emergency medical services (EMS), and incident management. An MH-65D pilot with over 3,000 flight hours, he has flown on missions from the shores of Miami, Florida, to the Bering Sea and beyond. Commander Johnson holds a master’s degree in disaster and emergency management, and enjoys identifying and leveraging new technologies to make emergency response operations safer and more effective.