Kiwi - Marine VHF is FM, Aviation VHF is AM. Also Marine VHF is a little bit higher up the spectrum (156-158Mhz)

The QF fleet blog has the A330 involved as a -300, not a -200.

As they were pretty much empty the endurance would still be pretty useful. Well done Truckie.:ok:

They did have the AMSA crew on board the A330 didn't they? I'm sure they're well equipped to talk to any marine vessels.

Pity AMSA couldn't have used their Dorniers. Their Essendon crew look a little bored sometimes waiting for some action.

They had a few people from various departments. they would have had a bunch of radios, ELT tracker etc etc.

This is an airwork flight so ETOPs doesn't apply.

AMSA website states they have tasked a Global Express to the yacht's position today to help coordinate the rescue.

AMSA - Recent Events

I'm sure if you owned an airline and someone rang you up and offered a 20 odd hour charter I think you would be 'making it work'. There is some good money to be made in SAR

P3 would make it easily...
 

I am sure a P3 would make it easily. When I served as observer on a P3B looking for a yacht in distress off the north of New Zealand, we had about 18 hours of fuel.

If she's 2000 nm out, I guess that's about six hours there, and the same back. That would leave the P3 with more than six hours loiter over the target. And you could stretch that, by feathering two engines, if you were serious.

I am sure the modern engines and props on the P3C are more efficient than the ones we were flying. It would make it easily: the P3 was a very good aircraft :-)

The 406 EPIRB would not require a search, it would be a homing exercise, and if, no doubt, it was the latest version or close to, it would have VHF 2 way communication ability as well.

To my way of thinking if all this modern technology was not available, ie GPS, a telephone to talk to Mum and Dad when things turn to custard, ability to yell to be rescued when the smelly stuff hits the fan, then there would not be all this so called record seeking, money making attempts being initiated by PR people.

It used to be that going to sea on long solo journeys required a different mind set than what appears to be the current trend amongst publicity seeking people.

It was said many years ago by one of the most experienced ocean cruisers of the time that the worst thing ever invented as far as cruising yachtspeople were concerned was a transmitting radio. The whole object of the exercise was supposed to be that you are completely self sufficient. The number of yachtspeople who have had mishaps such as dismasting and still made it to a port using their own resources is in the hundreds, and nary a word to the public.

This may shed some light on it ....

I would have no concern at all.

Legacy carriers, as opposed to low cost will often have the flexibility within their flying & maintanence schedule to allow additional adhoc flying.

That adhoc may be SAR, as seen here. Charter to their own LCC, or additional services due increased capacity requirements.

CH 7 Perth News just announced that the French fishing vessel has picked up Miss Sutherland and that she is now 'safe on board', as of 15 minutes ago.

That would make the pick up at 120945Z.

So, I guess that is the end of the 'exercise' as far as aviation is concerned - except for the Airline trip back to USA......and the USA Media.....

An EXCELLENT RESULT!! :ok::ok::D:D

It was quite standard for either TAA or Ansett to go on these missions, often when they were onroute, the PAX enjoyed being spotters, and the flight crew enjoyed the flying. Glad about the good result, but if she were my daughter, no way, even if I had to nail one of her feet to the ground!

Yes, it's only texting, twittering and facebook for my daughter.:ugh:

Life is sooo much safer in the virtual world!!!!

URL Filtering....is your friend!:ok:

Yes, whatever you do, make sure sure you filter out www.pprune.org !

Ok...Done.......:\

Didn't TAA send a B727-100 out for major search for a yacht missing off the east coast of Australia in the late 1960's?

Just a quick thought, and I haven't read back, and I haven't checked her exact location...but some assistance from Diego Garcia not an option? :confused:US citizen..US forces.....I guess I'm asking why am I paying (Taxes) to rescue US citizen whn US interests are so nearby....again assuming they were in vicinity, sure if she was just off the coast at Fremantle...different, though I still think there is something to be said for user pays............ :ok:

That option was amongst all possibilities explored I believe, but the quickest surface response was going to be from the french fishing vessel that did the pick up. The location was just as far from there as Oz. The kid was in the middle of no where.

SOLAS...
 

Check post #23 in this thread. Australia is a real, grown-up country (well, some of the time...) and we're a signatory to the Safety of Life at Sea treaty.

If Jess had been less well-prepared and less well-equipped, the Americans would have had to go and get her when she was in their territorial waters.

Abby was inside our territorial waters: by only about 100 km, I believe, but she was on our patch.

We wouldn't want to give the Americans the idea that we run away from our obligations at such a moment, now would we? Otherwise, the next time we get ourselves into a blue, the next President Roosevelt may just decide that his citizens' taxes could be better spent otherwise...

Cheers