Originally Posted by
The Wawa Zone
That is unfortunately correct, although people should still continue ground searches because it is good headbanging fun and there is always the chance of good fortune showing you a brief glimpse of folded metal in the undergrowth.
The search area planning has, I believe, pretty much narrowed it down to a couple of 5Km x 5Km blocks, but what 25Km2 blocks they are ! I've been on a couple of ground searches, one of which the team was in / ex by winching from POLAIR helo, and the terrain and vegetation was limiting. Adjacent to these areas are very different areas there with 40degree plus slopes and double+ canopy rainforest where foot searches are impossible without technical means, and I suggest MDX would be in one of these.
Can I infer from the last sentence that even with a (somewhat) low-level survey aircraft & 4K+ cameras, visual penetration of the canopy to ground level wouldn't' be possible? Was thinking those 25km2 areas could be covered fairly quickly with a GoPro strapped to a wing tiedown, even at just 100kts and 100m run spacing.