Who is responsible for supplying the PLB?
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Scotland
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Club has a couple but I decided to get my own Mcmurdo 220 last week. Used this outlet https://www.marinesuperstore.com
£175 with under 24 hour courier delivery is pretty good. Only thing is that when I registered it on-line, I got the response that it would take at least 10 weeks due to unprecedented demand.
£175 with under 24 hour courier delivery is pretty good. Only thing is that when I registered it on-line, I got the response that it would take at least 10 weeks due to unprecedented demand.
Join Date: Jan 1999
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Flybymike
Just like you I am not a fan of over regulation but in this case I think EASA have a point and fortunately due to the number of units being required by the industry the cost is not astronomic.
The cost of fitting an ELT for a commercial operator is not high per flying hour, for the private operator the cost of a PLB is much lower but probably around the same per flying hour as for commercial operation.
Maintenance is just an added item on the radio annual check and a six yearly battery change.
I see fitting ELT's to my fleet as a duty of care to my customers, it will garentee that should one of my customers have an accident the emergency services can find them quickly.
The cost of fitting an ELT for a commercial operator is not high per flying hour, for the private operator the cost of a PLB is much lower but probably around the same per flying hour as for commercial operation.
Maintenance is just an added item on the radio annual check and a six yearly battery change.
I see fitting ELT's to my fleet as a duty of care to my customers, it will garentee that should one of my customers have an accident the emergency services can find them quickly.
I see fitting ELT's to my fleet as a duty of care to my customers, it will garentee that should one of my customers have an accident the emergency services can find them quickly.
Join Date: Oct 2016
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Bloody hell,
what's all the fuss, PLB's cost around 220 quid; if you own or fly an aeroplane on a regular basis then you should be able to afford one of these potentially life saving bits of kit. Period
what's all the fuss, PLB's cost around 220 quid; if you own or fly an aeroplane on a regular basis then you should be able to afford one of these potentially life saving bits of kit. Period
Join Date: Oct 2016
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Jim59, if I crashed and survived in a remote area I would certainly be happy with a PLB with the chance of it working 80% of the time rather than having nothing working 100% of the time
Join Date: May 2010
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To be fair, the statistics are a tad misleading.
If a crash is bad enough to prevent the beacon working then it is unlikely to be survivable so no loss, OTOH an ELT is going down with the aircraft in water so always carry a PLB over water.
If a crash is bad enough to prevent the beacon working then it is unlikely to be survivable so no loss, OTOH an ELT is going down with the aircraft in water so always carry a PLB over water.
Join Date: Jul 2012
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With my airplane I supply life jackets, a raft and a GPS PLB.
Now here is the catch - if I rented someone else's airplane I would take my kit with me - I know its history and that it works - would one trust other people's kit?
That said the PLB is registered to me and my plane - but something is better than nothing (my airplane is US registered and operated in the eastern caribbean) - if it breaks the rules I'll suck it up.
This is in addition to the normal airplane ELT (it wouldn't work long if at all as 95% of my airplane's time is spend over the ocean.
PLB's are a good idea and they will bump up the chances of being found quickly - ideally have your own but if it comes with the airplane so be it - I do hope that someone outlaws the practice of charging for the "rental" of safety gear.
Now here is the catch - if I rented someone else's airplane I would take my kit with me - I know its history and that it works - would one trust other people's kit?
That said the PLB is registered to me and my plane - but something is better than nothing (my airplane is US registered and operated in the eastern caribbean) - if it breaks the rules I'll suck it up.
This is in addition to the normal airplane ELT (it wouldn't work long if at all as 95% of my airplane's time is spend over the ocean.
PLB's are a good idea and they will bump up the chances of being found quickly - ideally have your own but if it comes with the airplane so be it - I do hope that someone outlaws the practice of charging for the "rental" of safety gear.
