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:

A seasoned pilot reflects on his shift from youthful, risky flying to meticulous risk management and preparedness for personal adventures, particularly an upcoming Alaska trip in a Stinson 108.
He developed a comprehensive, three-tiered survival strategy: critical items on his person, a main survival kit for the aircraft, and additional camping gear, tailored for different emergency scenarios and 72 hours of self-sufficiency.
Key to his preparation is ensuring "findability" through satellite trackers and communication, alongside essential gear for first aid, hypothermia prevention, fire-making, shelter, water purification, and food, while balancing these provisions with aircraft weight limitations.

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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.