SCPA & SBSA Discussion Board

FYI ... from the May 14 2007 Santa Maria Times:

Santa Barbara

Glider pilot gets lifted from brush

An unidentified hang glider found himself grounded after a down draft of air forced him to make an emergency landing Sunday afternoon, according to a report by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

A Santa Barbara Fire and Rescue helicopter was summoned to the popular Cathedral Peak hang-gliding area, where the pilot of the glider requested an aerial rescue from dense, heavy brush he found himself in, according to Captain Eli Iskow.

“The pilot originally landed in a tree,” Iskow said. “After climbing down he realized he wasn't going to be able to walk out, so he summoned help on his two-way radio, requesting an airlift from the site. There's no way he was going to walk out of there. It's just too dense.”

According to Iskow, rescues like this typically are very costly because of what he called “rotor time.”

“These are very expensive rescues,” he said. “Usually they run in excess of $10,000. He will be billed for it.”

-- From staff reports

What is the story?
It was a PG pilot actually. Some of us where at the Eliminator when we heard some discussion on the radio about the helicopter ride.

IM not sure what caused it.
But a PG -out of towner- pilot ended up at the last ridge closest to the ocean as you are gliding out of westbowl (near the spot where most of us ended flying over when we cant fly over westbowl)
As he was packing Lee was hovering over him trying to identify the best way down and even made an effective water drop for the pilot .(you rock Lee!)
I think Lee stayed in the air untill the chopper showed up.( Way after everyone else had landed as ussual)
The idea at first was for the pilot to walk out but it seems that someone heard the radio chatter and called in the chopper
They flew over the site and the decision was made for him to be airlifted.
I think that they even let him take his gear (THAT would have been a gnarly retrieve..)
I dont know about charge $$ but it will for sure make me think twice before calling in any chopper.

On another line
I lost a black pocket knife either at alternator or at skyport that day and their respective LZ-s (got to fly twice!)
I'd be most gratefull if anybody sees it and lets me know
Thanks in advance.

I also read about this while staying up in SM monday morning.
And
As some might remember: I to have landed on West Bowl. It was about five years ago. I was scratchin' about 15 feet off the south east tip when I hit the edge of a sharp thermal, my wing horse shoed (both tips touched)and I fell softly into the top of a six foot manzanita tree.
I hiked, No I crawled down using coyote trails. Most of the three hours it took me to find a trail. I was standing in the tops of oak/manzanita trees throwing my wing as far as I could, because it woud not fit in the space below these trees. When I finally got to Robins five hours later. I found out that someone had broken into my car at launch by braking out my driver side window and stolen my ridge wing.
After talking to everyone after my ordeal. I found that if I had hiked UP, there is a trail that was forged by some fine SBSA members a few years earlier to retrieve a HG. I would have been back at my car in a few hours.

Can anybody out there share some factual information in regards to having to pay for a helicopter ride like this? Can the county legally "bill" you $10,000 or was that a scare tactic they chose to give the reporter. Don't our taxes pay for the helicopter? Is there any type of insurance avialible to cover something like this? I'm assuming medical insurance would cover in the event of an injury, but that wasn't the case here.

Thanks, Ben

SB Fire & Rescue is different than Ventura County Search & Rescue (Topa Taxi). The thing I find odd about this story is that whoever called the chopper didn't call VC S&R which at last check was free. I can think of 6 pilots off the top of my head, including myself, who have been pulled out of tiger country by VC S&R and never been billed. Obviously we don't want to make a habit of getting choppered out of unfortunate places but at last check it was still a public service. VC S&R, unless there's an injury which is rare, treats us as a training exercise and gives them an excuse to go whacking through the mountains in a pretty yellow helicopter.

As for MedFlight and SB F&R, I'm pretty sure they've never been free for whatever reason. Which makes the fact that SB F&R was called all that much more mysterious. A local pilot wouldn't have called them and I'd expect a visiting pilot would consult with a local before calling a chopper. If it were someone listening in on the radio who called SB F&R, and not the downed pilot or entourage, I'd imagine SB F&R would have a hard time justifying billing them if they didn't actually request the help.

What did Hansford have to pay, and who lifted him? I was there and I don't remember. All I know is the SB sheriffs and SR were on the ground with the entire Carp PD.

And by the way Bakersfield is hot and smoggy, glad they air condition the OR's.
andy

Ventura Search and Rescue has to get funded every year by the board of supervisors of the county. Funding approaches nearly two million dollars annually. After Dan Keyser crashed, I wrote a letter of thanks to the S&R crew and then wrote a letter to each and every supervisor telling them of how Ventura S&R saved Dan's life and requested they continue funding the program. It's a struggle every year to justify the funding. That's why it's important that we call them out only when it's absolutely necessary.

Santa Barbara spends its money on other things - like "Park Rangers" to drive around in expensive vehicles videotaping pilots landing at East Beach and giving dog owners tickets at parks and beaches.

I think it is important to know how the decision was taken for the helicopter to come. I heard from a pilot who was at launch that day that is the SB rescue team that heard the pilots talking on the radio and they decided to come. In that case, nobody asked them to come, it was their decision. But that needs to be confirmed. It would be nice if the pilot who was airlifted could help us here....

I never got a bill for my chopper ride. I assume that means it was free, not that they failed to bill me.

Maybe we need to make the Ventura S&R number available for all to have loaded on their cellies so that any further "unfortunate" airllift circumstances can be avoided. I'm sure airlifting is a "last choice" option for any of us....

When I first talked to the heli pilot he was enroute from somewhere south. I specifically asked how they heard of the situation, he claimed someone was scanning our frequency and THEY called it in. I'm not sure if this was a pilot or more likely a hamguy. I informed the heli pilot that there was NO medical issue and we were going to help our friend hike out of his situation. The heli pilot responded that he was in the area and wanted to check it out anyway. I gave him the coordinates I marked and when he had a visual on the downed para pilot he simply stated with little concern that "alright I get the other helicopter that can hoist him out of here."

SB picked up Hansford and went back to pick up his gear if I remember corectly.

Same as Ron said, when John hit the rock at the Grade I wrote a letter and got the exact responce. I have a friend that is a pilot for VCSAR and he stated the same funding issue story and assured me they not only appreciate but need any props they can get. They use these letters as proof that the community gets invaluable service from ther existance. 2m a year is cheap if you put a value on the lives they save every year. Dont forget they are the same choppers fighting the wild fires and life flighting car wreck victims as well. Also remember that the counties promote the use of all the recreational areas and take pride in the abundance of opportunity to play in our geographical area. They expect and actually need a certain amount of activity in the mountains.