Maybe the solution would be to use hot-air dirigibles for SAR? They could be the ultimate SAR tool based upon the incredible volumes of hot air that some of the crew-members here seem to be capable of generating. By simply diverting the hot gases into the envelope rather than being wasted by being vented to atmosphere! Indeed they would certainly require a dump valve to protect them from over-inflating and bursting!
Imagine: the ultimate perpetual motion aircraft, with a minute carbon footprint.
