1. Flying the SAR Mission
LTC Edmund H. Smith, Jr.
CAP
FL051

2. SAR Chain of Command RCC SMC OSC SAR Participants Duties
Responsibilities
1-prepare plan and distribute
2-establish communications
3-appoint a SAR mission
Coordinator (SMC)
Inform, dispatch and
Start operation
RCC
Direct and control mission
SMC
Report findings to the
SAR mission coordinator
Control operations on the
scene
OSC
SAR Participants
Carry out the mission

3. Defining Where to Look Track line
Geographical points, directions, distances
Center point
Corner points
Search Grid

4. Search Pattern Definitions
CSP = Commence Search Point
S = track spacing
W = sweep width
Cross Leg
Major Axis
Minor Axis
Grid

5. corner point
corner point
20 nm
CSP
search leg
D = 18 miles
S= 2 miles
cross leg
150 T
44-33 N
center point
major axis 060 degrees true W
12 nm
S = track spacing
minor axis
corner point
corner point
direction of drift and search

6. Aircraft Turn Radius At 90 knots, d = 0.5 nm At 100 knots, d = 0.55 nm
for a standard rate turn d
At 90 knots, d = 0.5 nm
At 100 knots, d = 0.55 nm

7. Search Patterns TSR = Track Line Return CS = Creeping Line
PS = Parallel Track
SQ = Expanding Square
VS = Sector Search
0 = Contour Search

8. Track Line Return (TSR)
CSP
½ track spacing
Longitude and latitude are
provided for these points

9. Creeping Line (CS) Corner point Leg Track spacing Major axis CSP
Center point

10. Expanding Square 5 3
CSP
Initial
heading 4 2 1 5 1 3 2 4

11. Sector Search (VS) All turns 120 degrees to the right Initial heading3 2 c
Datum CSP c

12. Sector Search Turns At 100 Knots Leg Time 2 1 min 12 sec 36 seconds
2 min 24 seconds 2 1
At 100 knots it takes 36 seconds
to travel 1 nautical mile
It takes 40 seconds to turn 120 degrees in a standard rate turn 3
Turn radius = 0.55 nm
for standard rate turn
at 100 knots

13. Find the Gooney Bird ! 26 degrees 59.9 minutes North Latitude
081 degrees minutes West Longitude
It is in old grid square 102
It is in standardized grid square 26/81 ABB

14. Old Grid Square Grid Square 101 Square is 15 minutes
13.4 nautical miles
Old Grid Square
15.0 nautical miles
Grid Square 101
Square is 15 minutes
of longitude by 15 minutes of Latitude

15. Standardized Lat/Long Grid System
36/102 AA
36/102 ADB
This system does not require special numbering
Lat-long of lower right corner defines the grid
Letters are used to define sub-grids W W
37-00 N A B B C A B C D
8.10
Objective 8.13 – Given coordinates and a sectional, use the Standardized Lat/Long Grid System to draw a search grid.
This is another type of grid system that uses the Lat/Long to define the grid number. Otherwise, it is very similar to the aeronautical chart grid system.
Location given is the southeast corner.
36-30 N W C D
36-00 N W W W

16. Find the Gooney Bird ! 26 degrees 59.9 minutes North Latitude
081 degrees minutes West Longitude
It is in old grid square 102
It is in standardized grid square 26/81 ABB

17. Grid Search Worksheet Example
no aircraft searching adjacent grids
11.3
Objective 11.2 – Demonstrate knowledge of planning and flying a parallel (grid) search.
Explain all information on the worksheet and ask questions to make sure the students understand completely.
GX55: Type of Grid and Sectional (US grid, STL); Type of pattern (Parallel Line); Grid (104D2, where '2' indicates entering the northeast corner of D quadrant *); Spacing (1 nm); Direction of Travel (N/S)
The GX55 identifies the corners of quadrants by numbers: 1 = enter the NW corner; 2 = NE corner; 3 = SE corner; and 4 = SW corner. In our example you would enter "104D2.“
Note: If you wish, record this data separately (e.g., a list or table) to make it even easier to enter into the GX55. The example, above, and the other examples that follow are listed in the sequence that you enter them into the GX55.

18. Expanding Square search worksheet example
11.5
Objective 11.4 – Demonstrate knowledge of planning and flying a expanding square search.
Explain all information on the worksheet and ask questions to make sure the students understand completely.
GX55: Type of Grid and Sectional (US grid, STL); Type of pattern (Expanding Square); Starting Waypoint (483´ AGL tower approximately eight nm west of Seymour, N 38º 59´ W 86º 10´); Spacing (1 nm); Direction of Travel (due north, 000º)

19. Using the Lat/Long Function of the GPS
Push the NAV button
Rotate the large knob until
your position appears

20. Learning to Interpret the GPS
Tracking a meridian of longitude
Flying true north or south
A number greater that the desired longitude means you are west of track
A number less that the desired longitude means you are east of track

21. Learning to Interpret the GPS
Tracking a parallel of latitude
Flying true east or west
A number greater that the desired latitude means you are north of track
A number less that the desired latitude means you are south of track

22. Some Examples Desired track 081 degrees 45.0 minutes west longitude
You are headed north
GPS reads
GPS reads
GPS reads
GPS reads
You are headed south
Do you turn left or right?
Do you turn left or right?

23. Some Examples Desired track 26 degrees 46.0 minutes north latitude
You are headed west
GPS reads
GPS reads
GPS reads
GPS reads
You are headed east
GPS reads
GPS reads
Do you turn left or right?
Do you turn left or right?

24. Some Examples
You are headed north along the 081 degree 45.0 meridian. You need to make a turn to the west so that you stay at least 0.5 nm from the 27 degree 0.0 minute grid square boundary. Your ground speed in 90 knots.
You begin your turn at?
27 degrees minutes north
26 degrees 59.5 minutes north
26 degrees 59.0 minutes north

25. An Actual Flight Cessna 172 IAS=90 Knots Winds east at 5 knots
1000 feet AGL
4 degrees W variation

27. Summary Search Pattern Types Search Pattern Definitions Turn Radius
Grid Square
Worksheet
Using latitude and longitude from GPS for navigation

28. Practice Practice Practice