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 reflects on a personal evolution from reckless flying in youth to prioritizing meticulous risk management, especially when preparing for a challenging trip to Alaska.
A comprehensive, three-tiered survival strategy is implemented, separating critical gear carried on the person, items in a main survival kit, and supplementary camping equipment, to account for different emergency scenarios.
Key survival needs addressed include locatability and communication (trackers, satellite phone), first aid, protection from hypothermia, fire-starting, shelter, water purification, and food, aiming for 72 hours of self-sufficiency.
The preparation emphasizes the critical importance of being findable by search and rescue services, leveraging modern technology and responsible contacts alongside physical survival gear.

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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.