Twister_Ken
Well-known member
Judging by the total loss of interest in the "re Flares" thread can I assume that no denizen has ever had to fire a distress flare for real?
Flares in anger
- Thread starter Twister_Ken
- Start date
ccscott49
Active member
Fired hundreds of parachute illuminating flares, but no distress flares in anger, not yet anyway!
Rowana
Two steps lower than the ships' cat
When I first did my offshore survival course in the mid 1970's, the took us to a rifle firing range and had us firing off all sorts of pyrotechnics.
They also took us out in lifeboats into the bay at Aberdeen and had us do all sort of exercises, hand-cranking the diesel engine, and so on.
The last refresher I did, it was simply how to strap into the lifeboat, a quick turn round the harbour, and that was it
Thankfully, I've never had to put these skills to the test since, and God willing, I hope I never do !
Jim
They also took us out in lifeboats into the bay at Aberdeen and had us do all sort of exercises, hand-cranking the diesel engine, and so on.
The last refresher I did, it was simply how to strap into the lifeboat, a quick turn round the harbour, and that was it
Thankfully, I've never had to put these skills to the test since, and God willing, I hope I never do !
Jim
extravert
New member
A few years ago, in a former life as a mountaineer, I was in a group that had arranged for a plane pick up from a glacier at the end of the trip. We had arranged a lat/long for our rendezvous point, but when we got there we found the area full of cravasses and unsuitable for a plane landing. We moved to the other side of the glacier instead, but when the plane came it was looking for us on the wrong side. The glacier was over 10 miles wide, and we could see the plane but the pilot could not see us. We let off a red smoke, which reverted the situation - he could see us, but we could not see anything at all. It was after it all cleared that we discovered that the smoke makes everything in range red, including us, the tents, and the snow. We weren't in distress, but we would have been a bit distressed if the plane had gone away again, being over 100 miles from the nearest settlement.
kgi
New member
just the once and from experience the hand held smokes are a waste of time, the smoke is to thin and the burn time is to short
Bergman
New member
Not had to fire one personally but was once involved looking for a motor boat who had broken his engine and called Mayday.
He did'nt know where he was but had sailed from Conwy. The Coastguard pursuaded him to fire his flare, a red hand held. It was clearly visible from my position near Conwy No2 buoy. He was well off Great Orme at least 3 miles away. This was on a bright day too.
I was impressed - by the flare.
Another motor boat towed him in eventually
He did'nt know where he was but had sailed from Conwy. The Coastguard pursuaded him to fire his flare, a red hand held. It was clearly visible from my position near Conwy No2 buoy. He was well off Great Orme at least 3 miles away. This was on a bright day too.
I was impressed - by the flare.
Another motor boat towed him in eventually
scottie
Well-known member
yes had to use a red hand held flare from an open boat as both vhf and moblie were u/s
it was mid afternoon on a wet overcast day
spotted very quickly by several persons problem solved
10 out of 10 for effectiveness
it was mid afternoon on a wet overcast day
spotted very quickly by several persons problem solved
10 out of 10 for effectiveness