Special Report

Aviation enthusiasts learn how to mentally and physically battle the elements

Posted: Feb 3, 2010 11:37 AM by Courtney Hanson
Updated: Feb 3, 2010 11:37 AM

Aviation enthusiasts battle the elements

LINCOLN - Getting stranded in Montana in the winter can be extremely dangerous and even deadly. That's why every January, the Montana Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Department puts on the Surratt Winter Survival Clinic. This year Emergency Response International instructors taught aviation enthusiasts how to physically and mentally battle the elements after a plane crash. Student Pilot Esther Suhr said "As long as I survived the crash, I would definitely be able to survive it."

Instructor Robert Stoffel said "When you get into a survival setting it becomes extraordinarily important that you have to say regardless, I am going to make this, I am going to survive, I'm going to do this."

Survival skills are vital, but they're only half the battle. Stoffel said keeping a positive mental attitude can keep you alive. "We try to stress the priorities and necessities of life. We put P.M.A at the top of the list, followed by shelter."

You may only have a few precious hours to turn a pile of snow into a shelter and Stoffel said smaller is better. "You live like the animals. Most animals shelters are only a little bit bigger than they are and that's what we have to keep in mind when we're building some kind of emergency action shelter."

Since seeking shelter is at the top of your priority list, tools like nylon rope and a tarp will come in handy. Other essentials to keep in your survival bag include simple fire starting tools like cotton balls coated in Vaseline, water proof matches, and a knife to chop wood. A signaling device will help you get noticed. You can use a whistle, flare, or even a mirror. And don't forget a basic fist aid kit.

Suhr said her survival vest is hanging on the back of the airplane seat. "So as we're exiting, we're just grabbing it and going. It has everything we need."

But in the worst case scenario, you may only have what's on your back. "Basic shelter is certainly paramount in that instant body shelter meaning that your biggest enemy is the cold or the environment that is going to take away 98.6, which is your body temp, and when your body temp goes away you compromise virtually all of survival," said Stoffel.

Something as simple as a heavy duty garbage bag could save your life. All you need to do is cut a hold in it for your face, put it on, and you have an immediate shelter. "That was an eye opener, it was really nice to see an everyday product putting to use to save you from one of the harshest environments," said Rocky Mountain Aviation Senior Hannah Neel.

The students here see survival differently now. They know it takes more than luck to survive, if you get stranded. "I feel comfortable that if I unfortunately had a crash landing that I could survive the snow," said Neel.

Click here for Emergency Response International website

Click here for MDT Aviation website