Monthly club meeting

[berow]

I thought I would give my opinion of the last club meeting. First a massive thank you to Colin Keightley who when I saw the subject of his talk I thought what can this young whippersnapper teach an old " Glenshee mountain rescue team member" like me anything. I was wrong. A young man with a considered opinion definitely worth listening to. I learned stuff , more than I have on any other evening and at the end there was nobody there. I did think what a pity but hey ho. Colin please tell me where to get those emergency cards with site references and the basics of what to do and what not to do in an emergency.
I completely got what Colin was talking about as I have been flying almost 23 years and realised I have been in most of those situations he discussed.
Ron Donaldson brought up the point about radios. If you weren't there basically he was saying this;
Have a radio
Switch it on
Talk to each other
A simple message but a very important one.
We talked about site assessment, debrief and looking out for each other.
I liked this topic as its in my nature to help.
I am not a qualified coach but if I can help I will. So no matter what the issue is call me and I will give you an opinion.
I say this because I was the guy making basic mistakes through the cock eyed goggles thinking I was as good as the next person. That was wrong so don't be shy and call me. It might surprise you how sh#te I was.
I am an old Boy Scout and believe in " think of others before yourself". It's a little twee in this day and age but I will wear my heart on my sleeve.
See you on the hill....

[Mehdi]

Sorry I missed it I had just got back from a busy 4 days in London and I was knackered sounded like a very informative talk. Unfortunately I am out the country for the very next 2 club meetings but will keep checking the club site. Hopefully Colin can give the talk again. See you on the hills

[Graeme]

Brian if there was a like function as with Facebook I'd like your post. And Brian Days thread about X Fell the other week.

You and all the other experienced nhpc pilots are always accommodating and a great help to me for which I am ever grateful.

But I'm a weekend / holiday only pilot who also has several competing priorities in my family and social life not to mention a crazy schedule in my 9 to 5, 5-days-a-week job. That said last year I clocked up 30 odd hours and am generally pleased with my progress.

But this year I've decided not to torment myself. It's all to easy to become passionate bordering on obsessed with flying resulting in a desperation to get out more and more each time there is a window. But I realise I simply cannot keep up with some of you and need to go at my own pace.

So for this season and next 12 months I've set a target of 4 holidays (Algo, Ager, Bir and Brazil) and plenty of uk weekends dedicated to nowt else but flying. If I can do 35 hrs before end of year including my first uk based xc flights and make more progress towards my pilot exam I'll be over the moon!

Safety comes first and I will choose when and where I fly - but will always seek guidance and advice and learn from you guys when I can. If I choose not to fly when others do then so be it. I stick by my motto - for what ever reason - a decision not to fly can be just as competent as the decision to launch.

In my capacity as an active nhpc club member I also offer car share, retrieval services and anything else I can help with

Regards radios - just to say Dean Crosby asked me not use Beauafang in Chile (or anywhere).. He simply doesn't rate them and lent me one of his spares instead. Radio checks before and after landing are routine and expected from all pilots on every flight. In flight radio chatter, when possible, is also expected to improve general safety, flying skills and xc guidance purposes. I've just bought a new yaesu.

Which I hope to use for the first time this weeken- my first opportunity to fly in 4 months!

[John Wallis]

Brian if there was a like function as with Facebook I'd like your post. And Brian Days thread about X Fell the other week.

Great post Graeme. There is a like button on the forum not the same as facebook but each click either builds or destroys a pilots reputation. Look just below your blackbird Avatar you will see 2 thumbs one up and one down. If you click them it brings up a text box where you can leave your comments whether good or bad.

Interesting what Dean said about the radios I've found them OK and more to the point easy to use where my last radio was the Yaesu and I found it poor range and battery life. The Yaesu has a much better name in the radio world too I guess the model I had must have been a poor one.

Cheers JW

[Gordon C]

good post Brian, I was sorry I had to leave Colin's talk early, it's a subject that needs a regular review, if possible could a annual or 6 monthly review be arranged to cover first aid practical and calling the emergency service's procedure, food for thought !

[colin keightley]

Just wacked this together hope it helps.

[bill-scott]

you will see 2 thumbs one up and one down. If you click them it brings up a text box where you can leave your comments whether good or bad.

never knew what they were for DOH!

Interesting what Dean said about the radios I've found them OK and more to the point easy to use where my last radio was the Yaesu and I found it poor range and battery life. The Yaesu has a much better name in the radio world

I value deans opinion but the reason I got the baoefeng was that the yaesu was crap
but im going to get a longer aerial it seems to boost the range greatly

[Graeme]

Cheers John - thumbs up for your thumbs up!

My beauafang was an issue for me on 3 trips away last year. Radio checks before launch weren't a problem. But on several flights I was either out of signal, one way intermittent or even flying in silence once I was up and away. Then it would work again after landing.

So when Dean eventually said ditch it and asked me to use another I accepted his offer. But Bill maybe you've hit the nail on the head?

I bought a yaesu vx-3e only because a pilot from the dales club was telling me he'd never had a pick of bother with his .

[AngusB]

Great posts, sounds like I missed a good night!

During a recent fire service first aid update we were advised to treat any catastrophic bleeding before even checking if they're breathing. The reason is that they would probably bleed out before you got back if you have to go for help & without direct pressure on the wound they won't last long.

If you're with others & the most trained 1st aider on the scene, send someone else for help whilst you apply pressure to the wound(s).

It's worth noting that if there's a lot of very bright red blood it's most probably an arterial wound somewhere, I'd think more unlikely in our sport but definitely possible. Arterial blood is oxygenated so brighter red than the darker red blood returning to the heart.

Check pulse & breathing & take notes every 5-10 mins if possible.
Use the AVPU scale to check the casualties state:
A = Alert
V = Responds to your voice
P = Responds to pain
U = Unconscious
This really helps paramedics on arrival to assess whether the condition of the casualty has stabilised or is getting worse.

Be safe out there, it's a lot better for your health.

[colin keightley]

Angus is right they have changed the C again, here is the official St John Ambulance Wording

Danger:

If someone needs help, before you go up to them check – is it safe?

• No: If you can see or hear any danger nearby, for you or them, like broken glass or oncoming traffic, then make the situation safe before you get any closer

• Yes: If you can’t see or hear any danger then it is safe to go up to them.

Response:

Do they respond when you ask them: ‘Are you alright?’ or if you say: ‘Open your eyes!’

• No: If they don’t respond, then gently shake their shoulders, or with a child - tap their shoulder, and with a baby - tap their foot. If they still don’t respond, then you can presume they’re unconscious and move on to the next stage – Airway. Someone who’s unconscious should always take priority so you should treat them first and as quickly as possible.

• Yes: If they respond by making eye contact with you or some gesture then you know that they’re conscious and you can move on to the next stage – Airway.

Airway:

Is their airway open and clear?

No:

o Conscious: If they’re conscious, treat them for conditions that may be blocking their airway, such as choking. Only move on to the next stage – Breathing – once their airway is open and clear.

o Unconscious: If they’re unconscious, tilt their head and lift their chin to open their airway. Only move on to the next stage – Breathing – once their airway is open and clear.

• Yes: If their airway is open and clear, move on to the next stage – Breathing.

Breathing:

Are they breathing normally? You need to look, listen and feel to check they’re breathing.

• No:

o Conscious: If they’re conscious, treat them for whatever is stopping them breathing, for example, an obstructed airway. Then go to the next stage – Circulation

o Unconscious: If they’re unconscious and not breathing, call 999/112 for an ambulance, or get someone else to call if possible, and start giving chest compressions and rescue breaths CPR – cardiopulmonary resuscitation. If this happens you probably won’t move on to the next stage as the casualty needs resuscitation.

• Yes: If they are breathing normally, move on to the next stage – circulation.

Circulation:

Are there any signs of severe bleeding?

• Yes: If they’re bleeding severely, control the bleeding with your gloved fingers, dressing or clothing, call 999/112 for an ambulance and treat them to reduce the risk of them going into shock.

• No: If they aren’t bleeding, and you’re sure you have dealt with any life-threatening conditions, then you can move on to the Secondary Survey, to check for any other injuries or illnesses.

[Trevor Robinson]

Having the "pleasure" of resusi aianni a few times and tried it for real it was still good to have a refresher, it's a skill you never hope to use so it's even easier to let your skill level drop. But on the subject of radios, anyone got a link to a better antenna for a Yeasu 3xv than the standard rubber duckie thing
ta
trevor