RobertL18C wrote:
Bring a book and a thermos, makes sitting out weather part of the mindset.
And I think that is the key. I don’t think many pilots set out with that mindset. They also do not set out to crash, but there have been several flights this year in the States where many lives lost due to pilots setting off into very questionable weather, and it all ending badly. A number of them fly straight over airfields where they could have landed and waited it out. Not good.
It is in the mindset. But then so is ‘Get there Itis’..
I’ve only done a few diversions, but many turn-backs to departure airfield. Only a VFR pilot.
Two of the diversions were almost too late. To Oban instead of Inverness, late December, landing just before sunset, with fog offshore, and hearing aircraft diverting from Glasgow to Prestwick. To Green River, Utah, landing in heavy rain, seeing a nearby lightning flash through the rain on final.
I have had a few for various reasons – fuel cap came off was one, high crosswind a few times, low base twice, weather in the way of destination a couple of times, engine failure once, engine rough running once.
Two in the last 8 years. One RTB to ZRH after the Alps proved non cross able one to LSZR to sit out a Cold front.
Peter wrote:
It is what a fixed ELT does, but few planes have these because even they are mandatory in a lot of places, they were banned “since for ever” in Europe so not many are installed.
My experience is exactly the opposite. I don’t think we’ve ever had an aircraft without one, from business aircraft to Super Cub. It is now mandatory to have either an installed ELT or a PLB
Neil wrote:
It is now mandatory to have either an installed ELT or a PLB
That was certainly my understanding. On both N reg, and EASA reg I have been told to have an ELT, or PLB.
Glad to see lots of folks have used alternates 
When I got the TB20 in 2002, a fixed ELT was illegal on a G-reg, which is why the CAA demanded its removal upon it going on G-reg, from F-reg (used for the ferry flight from Tarbes) and originally it was built as N-reg for a customer in the US and thus had an ELT. When I went N-reg in 2005 I had to install a fixed ELT, which was mandatory and is to this day (actually a 121.5-only unit is legally OK; last I heard the 406MHz proposal got killed by US AOPA). A handheld PLB does not meet the FAA requirement.
I don’t make this stuff up. More info here. Just because somebody’s G-reg always had an ELT, say 20-30 years ago, on a private SEP aircraft (not turboprop charter etc) doesn’t mean it was legal.
Obviously regarding an ELT as illegal is nuts but that is the UK CAA (at the time especially) for you. The same inspector declared the KLN94 was a VFR-only unit and demanded the dealer disables IFR (which is an option on a KLN94 but not on a GNS430) but I promptly re-enabled it. And he wanted EXIT stickers on all the (2) doors… Lots of mad stuff went on e.g. some bell end in the DGAC demanding that the WX500 stormscope display does not rotate with the heading because if it did, the pilot might use it to avoid thunderstorms (actual words from Socata).
Later the EASA regs changed and lots of people had to install an ELT having removed one some years previously!
Peter wrote:
actually a 121.5-only unit is legally OK; last I heard the 406MHz proposal got killed by US AOPA
I don’t what AOPA may have had to do with it, but yes, within the US the ELT requirement is unchanged. 406 MHz units are in fairly wide use, but 121.5 MHz meets the requirement within US airspace. Outside of US airspace, this guidance is applicable. Canada and Mexico have never made it mandatory for US registered planes to have a 406 MHz unit, despite plans to do so, given that many or most planes in the US don’t have them.
The simple periodic ‘football test’ required for a 121.5 ELT (in contrast to the 406 MHz untis) is a motivator to stay with the old units and ELT functionality is not that important to many people – they wouldn’t have an ELT except to satisfy the regs. Another motivator, other than the cost, is that many of the 121.5 MHz utilize cheap D-cell batteries so staying legal is easier.
Somebody here will know the definitive answer for an N-reg flying in Europe but AFAIK a handheld unit (a PLB) meets the European requirements regardless of registry (it is an airspace requirement). But you have to meet the FAA requirements too (it is a State of Registry requirement) so you have to have a fixed ELT in an N-reg.
However, the subject aircraft was D-reg. The crash was clearly totally non-survivable.
My first upgrade to my first Rallye (G-Reg) was a 406 MHz ELT. Why on earth would someone not want one? I want an ELT in any plane I’m flying.
