You could activate your PLB 'on the way down' - if you have the opportunity.
Then if it all 'went well', in my former life, I would be very happy to hear that you are well - and CNL your SAR with the boys and girls at AusSAR....
As Leadie has said, some fixed installations don't always work 'as advertised'.
- Those which end up under water,
- Those burned on impact,
- Those crushed on impact, even if its only the antenna that is crushed,
- Those whose switches have corroded, and don't activate,
- Those whose switches corrode and activate 'inadvertently'.
One was reported by the aircraft in flight that had this problem, which became obvious after a while.... The other was from an aircraft on the ground in the middle of the night, and the local RFDS aircraft figured that one out.
Then there was the one stored under the seat of the chopper concerned, and on impact, the seat collapsed - crushing the antenna and shielding the beacon so that the signal went out in a horizontal plane ONLY, and so was not found for almost 24 hours, quite by fortune by another low level chopper. Too late for some on board.
And so it goes....
So, IF you have the opportunity, you could activate your 'portable' ELT and worry about the 'paper work' later.
The person you are helping most - is YOU!
Cheers,
