How to: Buddy up

Flying gives us freedom, but it comes with a responsibility to take care of ourselves and our friends. Serious and fatal accidents happen in our sport, and the experience of losing a fellow pilot is traumatic for those on the scene as well as those back home.

Time is critical during an incident and anything which saves time increases the chance of a better outcome. Knowing where a pilot is when they need help can save precious hours and minutes. Communication for coordinating a search is critical too. That whole rescue scenario starts with other pilots knowing when to raise the alarm and telling rescuers where to start looking. 

Jocky Sanderson is well known to many pilots and has a wealth of experience in wilderness first aid, having been a mountain rescue team member and NHS first responder for over 20 years. He knows that accidents can happen to any of us, at any time. “Sometimes pilots think, ‘Oh, I’m just doing a little top to bottom’, and...