Signaling for Survival

Stuff happens. You never think it could happen to you, but sometimes it does.

Engines quit, sometimes even when you have avgas. Wings ice up and suddenly you're in a stall. Trees or powerlines get in the way of a takeoff or landing in a remote strip. There are all kinds of ways to be out in the middle of nowhere with a banged up airplane and increasingly limited chances of survival.

Obviously, filing a flight plan is a good way to increase your chances of being found when you don't show up where you should. The FAA quotes figures from the Air Force indicating that if you filed an IFR, the time...