Hello Fellow Mavic Drivers,
I've been a lurking member for awhile but thought I should formally introduce myself.
As the thread indicates, I am a 107 SAR pilot for our local Sheriff's SAR team. I also hold a Private pilot license (Part 91). In addition, I am the Support Division FTO (Field Training Officer) for our team which basically means it's my job to make sure our team doesn't kill, hurt or mame themselves or one another with anything that has a motor attached to it. This includes, ATV's, OSV (over the snow vehicles), trucks, aircraft (both rotary and fixed wing) and of course UAV's. Our Department has a fleet of 4 Phantom P4P UAV's and I own a personal MP. We operate under an FAA COA. On our team we currently have 3 SAR pilots while the SO has about a dozen.
We do all flavors of SAR including Ground Search in all types of terrain in the Sierra Nevada Mountains right up to and including the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail). The terrain can be challenging, to say the least and at least half of our missions are in the nearby federally designated Wilderness Areas. Other flavors of SAR include Nordic, Swiftwater, Technical Rope Rescue and Mounted (horseback). Our Team is comprised of 30 or so dedicated SAR volunteers and 6 sworn Deputies. We also respond in the region to mutual aid callouts from other nearby counties.
In the past couple of years, since the inception of our UAV team, we have flown a couple dozen missions and at least as many trainings. We have found the UAV to be a very good tool for SAR and most teams are almost expected to fly UAV's for missions although we still fly more helicopters than UAV's at this point for evac reasons.
I'd like to thank you all for the knowledge I have gleaned from the group, I may not have a lot to add but I am always reading and learning from the MavicPilots Community.
MtnScout
I've been a lurking member for awhile but thought I should formally introduce myself.
As the thread indicates, I am a 107 SAR pilot for our local Sheriff's SAR team. I also hold a Private pilot license (Part 91). In addition, I am the Support Division FTO (Field Training Officer) for our team which basically means it's my job to make sure our team doesn't kill, hurt or mame themselves or one another with anything that has a motor attached to it. This includes, ATV's, OSV (over the snow vehicles), trucks, aircraft (both rotary and fixed wing) and of course UAV's. Our Department has a fleet of 4 Phantom P4P UAV's and I own a personal MP. We operate under an FAA COA. On our team we currently have 3 SAR pilots while the SO has about a dozen.
We do all flavors of SAR including Ground Search in all types of terrain in the Sierra Nevada Mountains right up to and including the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail). The terrain can be challenging, to say the least and at least half of our missions are in the nearby federally designated Wilderness Areas. Other flavors of SAR include Nordic, Swiftwater, Technical Rope Rescue and Mounted (horseback). Our Team is comprised of 30 or so dedicated SAR volunteers and 6 sworn Deputies. We also respond in the region to mutual aid callouts from other nearby counties.
In the past couple of years, since the inception of our UAV team, we have flown a couple dozen missions and at least as many trainings. We have found the UAV to be a very good tool for SAR and most teams are almost expected to fly UAV's for missions although we still fly more helicopters than UAV's at this point for evac reasons.
I'd like to thank you all for the knowledge I have gleaned from the group, I may not have a lot to add but I am always reading and learning from the MavicPilots Community.
MtnScout
