Drive to Survive Kicks In

Preparing for the unthinkable on an Alaska excursion.

Friday, November 22, 2024 at 08:54 AM ET

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FLYING contributor Sam Weigel decided to build a custom survival kit specific to our needs, using the best-quality components I could find. [Courtesy: Sam Weigel]

Key Takeaways:

The author, a seasoned pilot, transitioned from youthful reckless flying to a highly disciplined risk management approach, particularly when preparing for a personal flight to Alaska.
He implemented a three-tiered survival strategy, categorizing gear into immediate personal items, a main accessible kit, and bulkier camping essentials, to address different emergency scenarios like rapid aircraft egress or extended self-sufficiency.
His comprehensive preparedness prioritized communication (satellite tracker, phone), medical supplies, hypothermia prevention, fire/shelter tools, and 72 hours of provisions, carefully balancing weight limitations with the need to be findable and self-reliant in remote areas.

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When I think back to the bygone years of my misbegotten youth, I can only shake my head and shudder at some of the flying that I blithely undertook without a second thought—and continually got away with.

Hard IFR in junky old airplanes with no autopilot, no GPS, and minimal redundancy? Check. Over rugged mountain terrain, howling wilderness, and frigid open ocean? Check. In the dark bowels of a storm-tossed, moonless night? Sure, why not.

Sam Weigel

Sam Weigel has been an airplane nut since an early age, and when he's not flying the Boeing 737 for work, he enjoys going low and slow in vintage taildraggers. He and his wife live west of Seattle, where they are building an aviation homestead on a private 2,400-foot grass airstrip.