Around 2,000 people get lost in the woods every year. We all believe we’re not going to be one of those unfortunate souls…but none of us can ever be 100 percent sure.Here are some survival strategies you need to know to avoid getting into this precarious situation in the first place. But before getting into the nitty-gritty, take a look at the dos and don’ts every hiker or backpacker should memorize.

Getting Lost In The Woods

Do's:<ul><li>Tell someone at home where you’re going beforehand.</li><li>After you realize you’re lost, follow the STOP protocol and prioritize your needs.</li><li>Travel downhill and follow streams towards possible human habitations.</li><li>Stay in open areas and use all signalling devices at your disposal.</li><li>Consider buying a satellite phone if venturing frequently into service-free areas</li></ul>Don’ts:<ul><li>Panic – establish an escape or action plan and follow it strategically</li><li>Deplete your energy running around without a coherent plan.</li><li>Ignore symptoms of serious conditions like hypothermia and heat exhaustion.</li></ul>

Do's And Don'ts

Surviving when you do get lost involves a little preparation. Always, always make sure you have the backpacking 10 essentials with you when you go out hiking or backpacking:<ul><li>Water purifier</li><li>Extra food and bottled water</li><li>Firestarter (matches/lighter)</li><li>First Aid Kit</li><li>Emergency shelter (e.g. a tarp or bivvy)</li><li>Extra Insulation (emergency blanket or extra clothes)</li><li>Flashlight/Headlamp</li><li>Navigation tools (e.g. compass, personal location beacon, maps)</li><li>Sun Protection</li><li>Repair kit & Tools (duct tape and multi-tool are a great combo)</li></ul>

Always Bring The 10 Essentials

Once you realize you’re lost, the first things you need to do are stop, relax, and think about your situation carefully. Excessive anxiety will only cloud your judgment and drain your energy. The STOP method helps you remember what to do after you realize you’re lost. These letters stand for: “stay calm,” “think,” “observe,” and “plan.”A few questions you should address are: How did I get here? How long will my food and water last me? Where’s the closest river or stream? Where should I set up shelter? What’s the weather like? How long till it gets dark? How’s my health?

What To Do IF You Get Lost In The Woods

Once your mind is calm, observe your surroundings and try to get an idea where you’re located. Try and mentally retrace your steps. If it is safe to do so, then climb to the highest elevation possible to better assess your location. If such a venture will take significant time or energy, or you don’t feel confident in undertaking it, then DO NOT attempt it. Simply STAY PUT.

Pinpoint Your Location

Survival experts recommend that people who are lost in mountains or forests travel downhill. In most wildlife areas, it should take you no more than 20 hours of walking downhill to reach a town or city, or at least a road or established trail.Since most cities in the past were built near bodies of water, it’s likely you’ll come across other humans once you reach the stream’s source by heading in a downhill direction towards a valley. Not only are you more likely to come across civilization by walking downhill, it’s also easier on your body and will save you energy.

Travel Downhill

Keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for any and all traces of humans. Whether it’s some trash left behind by a non-practitioner of LNT, a trail or pathway, camping sites, or the sounds of people talking.If you can’t determine your location or navigate your way back to civilization, then you are best to STAY PUT and await rescue. While waiting for help to arrive, you should be aware of the biggest risks that you are likely to face and how to effectively handle them.

Stay Put If In Doubt

You can only survive three days without water. This timeframe, however, could be even shorter if you’re hiking in humid environments. On most trips, you’ll likely have brought H2O with you, but packing a water purifier such as the lifestraw could help save your life by allowing you to drink safely from wild water sources. Alternatively, if you have brought a stove or are adept at making fires, then boiling H2O from a stream will also make it safe to drink.

Dehydration

The onset of hypothermia is usually gradual, so you have to watch yourself carefully before the debilitating symptoms take hold of you.Hypothermia produces symptoms such as extreme shivering, weakened pulse, delirium, and poor balance. It’s far easier for you to contract hypothermia at night, especially if you’re in an area that’s damp.If you feel your temperature dropping, remove any wet clothes you have on because these only increase your risk of developing hypothermia. Use your emergency blanket and light a fire nearby to provide external heat. You can also drink warm water.

What To Do If You Get The Shivers

Cramps are an early warning sign that you’re dehydrated. As these symptoms appear, try to find a shaded area and drink purified water.Once you start to experience symptoms like nausea, clammy hands, or a fast pulse, you must lie down in the shade, sip a drink slowly, and sprinkle cool water all over your face and body.Finally, to avoid sunburn and eye damage, a container of high-grade sunscreen and a pair of sunglasses are musts if you’re hiking in high temps or areas where you’ll be exposed to the sun.

Heat Exhaustion

Food is important for giving you the energy you need to create and maintain your shelter, or to hike out to safety. Take stock of the food you’ve brought with you and work out how to stretch out your supply for as long as possible.Reserve your energy only for necessary tasks. With more energy in reserve, you’ll naturally require less food to survive.Whenever hunger cravings overwhelm your mind, just slow down, relax, and remember that humans can survive three weeks without food. After a few hours, your mind should become significantly less stressed.

Hunger

Now that you know the greatest risks to your safety, it’s time to learn how to keep yourself going while waiting on help while out in the wild.You need a cool head now more than ever. If you’ve never practised meditation before, now is as good a time as any to begin. Sit down and notice your in-breath and out-breath for 15 to 30 minutes. It takes about 30 mins or so for adrenaline to be broken down in your body. Allowing yourself this time to calm down will allow you to think much more clearly again.

Surviving While Awaiting Rescue: Stay Calm

If you have made the decision to wait out and be rescued then the first priority is locating a reliable water source nearby without wandering too far off.If you can’t find a stream or lake, consider hanging out a tarp to collect rainwater. While quite intensive, you can also use a piece of clothing to collect morning dew off plants and trees and wring the H2O out into a suitable container.

Find Some Water

In order to effectively ward off hypothermia, you need to create a reliable source of fire and find a good shelter. Besides a cave (uninhabited, of course), the best shelter for a cold night in the woods is a tent. If you don’t have a tent and can’t find a safe cave, then try to set up camp near fallen trees or by rock outcroppings.Anyone who doesn’t have an emergency tent with them can build a makeshift tent out of other materials like a tarp or a poncho. You’ll need to tie a rope or place a branch between two nearby trees before draping your tarp over.

Make A Shelter

Don’t walk around aimlessly for hours on end. Always think through your strategy before wasting your energy. You really need to watch how much energy you exert if you don’t have a huge food supply.When you need a break, then sit back, drink some water, eat something, get in your sleeping bag, and rest. Some hikers find it’s better to take catnaps throughout the day instead of sleeping all through the night. This is especially the case if you have trouble falling asleep in the woods after dusk.

Don't Burn Yourself Out

Make sure you are ready to signal potential rescuers. This could take many forms, such as blowing a whistle, flashing a mirror (or shiny metallic object) or even spelling “help” on the ground in an open area.If lost in the mountains, you should use the appropriate signals to alert mountain rescue planes or helicopter teams.

Signalling To The Rescuers

The most important thing before going on a hike is to let friends and family know where you’re going and for how long. Leave them a map of your planned route and any other pertinent information about your trip, i.e. direction of travel, parking location. This way, if you don’t return within the timeframe you’ve provided, then your loved ones can alert the authorities. Don’t get caught up in the mythos of the “rugged explorer.” Letting others know your whereabouts is a sign of maturity and it’s critical for your safety.

How To NOT Get Lost In The Woods: Tell Your Loved Ones Where You Are Headed

This is a great tip if you’re a beginner. It’s an even better idea to stay close to your home on your first hiking adventure. While it might not be as exciting as heading deep into the wilds, this is a great way to learn basic navigation skills in a safe environment.

Travel In Open Areas Or Popular Tourist Destinations

If you’re not too experienced with hiking or backpacking, there’s no shame in scheduling a tour with a guide, which is also a great way to learn the ropes before venturing out on your lonesome.While this tip is optional for easier hiking treks, it’s a requirement for all other times. There are plenty of websites where you can book guided hiking tours around the world, so there’s no excuse for going it alone in areas out of your comfort zone.

Travel With A Guide

You should know how to read scales on a map. The most common map is 1:25,000, which means one centimeter on the map translates to 250 meters on the ground. You should also be able to identify features on the map and understand contouring, both of which can help you navigate terrain safely.Figure out how to use a real compass. Invest in a high-quality compass you feel comfortable with and learn how to use it before your hike.

Learn Basic Navigation With A Map And Compass

Please remember to tell all your relations about your trip and carry your essential travel gear with you on the trail. These two preventative tips, along with the strategies listed above, could well prove critical in “surviving to tell the tale.”

The Bottom Line

Would you know what to do if you get lost in the woods, mountains, or wilderness? Make sure to plan for the best, yet prepare for the worst with our practical survival guide.

You would think it inconceivable in our modern age that it could be possible to get lost in the woods, however, it still happens to around 2000 people annually. Find out how to not to become part of that statistic with our guide.

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What to do if you get lost in the woods

Disasters are inevitable — at some point in our lives, almost all of us will have a brush with an earthquake, flood, tornado, blizzard or storm. But there's no use in worrying yourself sick; the best way to defend yourself against any emergency is to have a disaster preparedness plan.Disaster prevention comes in many forms, from knowing what type of emergency to expect and packing an emergency preparedness kit to prepping your home and knowing how to return to it when the coast is clear. Follow these expert-sourced disaster preparedness tips to ensure you have a foolproof plan in place.

A Disaster Can Strike Anytime

<ul><li>Earthquakes: They can happen in all states at any time of year.</li><li>Wildfires: High risk in forested areas with little rain, such as Southern California.</li><li>Floods: The most common natural disaster can hit anywhere, but especially in low-lying areas.</li><li>Tornadoes: "Tornado Ally" includes the states of TX, OK, IA, KS, NE and OH, which are on alert from March to August.</li><li>Blizzards: They can occur wherever the temperature drops below freezing.</li><li>Storms and Hurricanes: The East and Gulf coasts are at high risk from June to November.</li></ul>

The Various Kinds Of Disasters

Get notifications sent to your phone from your service provider or via a free app from <a href="https://www.fema.gov/mobile-app">FEMA</a> or the <a href="https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/mobile-apps.html">Red Cross</a>. Some employers use a service such as <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=74968X1525078&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapps.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Flivesafe%2Fid653666211&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goodhousekeeping.com%2Fhome%2Forganizing%2Ftips%2Fa14162%2Fdisaster-preparedness-tips%2F&xs=1&xcust=%5Butm_source%7C%5Butm_campaign%7C%5Butm_medium%7C%5Bgclid%7C%5Bmsclkid%7C%5Bfbclid%7C%5Brefdomain%7C%5Bcontent_id%7C76cf516b-0173-484c-b620-8173be279bc9%5Bcontent_product_id%7Cb68f7760-83f0-4571-8922-0169d3adbafe%5Bproduct_retailer_id%7C">LiveSafe</a> to blast emergency info to their teams — see if your company or school uses it, and if so, download the free app.

Subscribe To Disaster And Emergency Alerts

If you have to leave your home in a hurry, you'll want to have some essentials packed and ready to go. Keep the following supplies, <a href="http://www.ready.gov/">recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency</a>, in a portable container or "<a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home-products/a33605583/bug-out-bag-list/">go bag</a>" in the area of your house where you'll take shelter.

Pack A Bag Of Essentials

<ul><li>Three days' worth of food and water (at least a gallon per family member)</li><li>Battery-powered (or hand crank) flashlights and radio</li><li>Extra batteries</li><li>First aid kit</li><li>Whistle to signal for help</li><li>Trash bags and duct tape, along with dust masks</li><li>Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities</li><li>Manual can opener for food</li><li>Regional maps</li><li>Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger</li><li>Moist towelettes and any personal sanitation or specific family needs, like pet supplies</li><li>Some non-perishable snacks.</li><li>An extra small flashlight.</li><li>Some cash.</li></ul>

Emergency Kit List

When things get chaotic, you want to make sure that every family member knows what to do. We suggest designating two meeting places (one close by and one a little further away in your neighbourhood) and hanging a map with the spots marked near your emergency kit.Have important contacts written down if the power goes out and there's nowhere to charge your cell phone.  Leave a copy in your emergency kit, too. Establish a plan for checking in with relatives in case local lines get jammed. Text messages will often go through, even when phone lines are clogged.

Make an Action Plan

Keep important documents and papers that would be hard to replace sealed in a fireproof safe. If you have pets, make sure to include their vet records and their vaccination records; some vets and kennels won't admit your furry family without them. Veterans should make sure to include your DD-214, verifying your proof of military service. If flooding is common in your area, put documents in a zip-top bag or waterproof container as well.

Prepare Your Home

<ul><li>Passports</li><li>Birth and adoption certificates</li><li>Shot records</li><li>Social security cards</li><li>Leases</li><li>Titles</li><li>Deeds</li><li>Wills</li><li>Rental agreements</li></ul>If the power goes out and you have time, unplug appliances and electronics and turn off <a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/appliances/g21286604/best-portable-air-conditioner/">air conditioners</a>, whether you stay or go. This will prevent damage when the electricity surges back on. Leave one lamp on so you'll know when the power's back.Invest in a backup home generator to keep your home running through extended power outages

List Of Important Documents

If water lines could be affected, you'll also want to fill your tub and turn off the line. Use this H2O for sanitation, like <a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/a31225042/how-to-wash-your-hands/">hand-washing</a> and pouring down the toilet to flush it. If there's a risk of flooding and you have the time, move valuable or hard-to-replace items like <a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/electronics/g37246593/best-laptops/">laptops</a>, antiques and heirlooms to upper floors to keep them from getting water-logged.

Take Care Of The Water

If you'll be inside for a while, weather the storm with <a href="https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/cooking/a31944889/best-non-perishable-food/">nutrient-dense, shelf-stable items</a>:<ul><li>Canned tuna/salmon</li><li>Canned black beans</li><li>Olives</li><li>Mixed nuts</li><li>Dry-roasted edamame</li><li>Dry-roasted chickpeas</li><li>Whole-grain instant rice</li><li>Boxed grains like quinoa, buckwheat or sorghum</li><li>Olive oil</li><li>Olive oil/canola oil</li><li>Low-salt veggie broth</li><li>Canned tomatoes</li><li>Canned veggies and other healthy canned foods</li><li>Garlic powder</li><li>Onion powder</li><li>Chili seasoning</li><li>Salt</li><li>Pepper</li><li>Soy sauce</li><li>Tomato sauce</li><li>Ketchup</li><li>Mustard</li></ul>

Food Shopping List

Don't let your family rush back into your home without taking these precautions.Look for damage outside. Walk around the exterior and check for issues like loose or fallen power cables, damaged gas lines and cracks in the foundation or in beams. If you have trees nearby, carefully assess their stability.Note sounds and odours: Especially hissing noises or a smell of gas.Check inside. If the power is still out, use a flashlight (not a candle — open flames can burn items or cause gases to ignite) to assess the damage.

Return Safely

Inspect appliances. For small appliances like coffee makers and toasters, look closely at the cords for fraying or exposed wires before using them again. Fridges, ranges and washers can be more complicated; call a service company to check the safety of connections and components, then replace anything that’s severely damaged.Document the damage. It may be hard emotionally, but if you want to file an insurance claim, you’ll need a visual record of all the damage with clear pictures and thorough notes before you clean up.

Inspect And Document

These expert disaster preparedness tips will help you weather any storm — be it a hurricane, blizzard, tornado, flood, wildfire, or earthquake — in the safest way possible. 

How to Prepare Your Home for an Emergency, According to Experts

Whether stranded in the woods, the mountains, or on a deserted island, the first thing to do is to signal for rescue.<ul><li>Use your resources to signal any ships or planes that might pass by.</li><li> If no-one comes, take steps to avoid injury. Your feet are the most important and vulnerable tools for survival. Boots can protect you from cutting your feet as you explore.</li><li>Find fresh water. Humans can't live without water for more than ten days. You need at least 1 litre of water per day to survive. If you have to choose between dehydration and unfiltered water, take your chances with the water.</li></ul>

What to do if you’re stranded in the wilderness

<ul><li>If you're close to the sea, you can convert salt water to fresh. Fill a can with salt water, then put a second container over the can. This will collect the freshwater that evaporates out of the can.</li><li>Look for signs of life such as vegetation, birds, and insects. It can all mean you are nearby water sources.</li><li>Roots, vegetables and cacti all contain water. Mashing them with a rock will release some liquid.</li><li>Water flows downhill, so check low-terrain canyons and mountain basis for a water source.</li><li>Morning dew can be collected with a cloth before sunrise and then wrung out.</li></ul>

Finding water

Fish juices, blood, alcohol, seawater and urine will dehydrate you, which is the opposite of what you want. It can also trigger low blood pressure, which can damage vital organs like your heart, lungs, and kidneys.

What not to drink

<ul><li>Create a dry patch of ground about 4 feet wide. Build a ring of rocks or dig down a few inches to keep the fire insulated. </li><li>Then use paper, dry grass or pine needles as tinder. Pile loosely in the centre and top with kindling. If the kindling isn’t dry enough, you will need more tinder.</li><li>If you have a lighter or matches, ignite the tinder and gently blow on the fire. If you don’t have a lighter, you need to use friction to create an ember or can use a lens to harness the sun’s light. </li><li>Once you have a healthy flame, arrange firewood in a tepee shape. Ensure to keep feeding your fire.</li></ul>

Know how to build a fire

It’s impossible to drown in quicksand because humans will float in it. However, once disturbed, quicksand becomes more viscous, trapping whatever it develops.  To get out, wiggle your legs to create a pocket for water to trickle down. This will loosen the sand around your legs. Then lay back. The more you distribute your weight across the surface, the harder it will be to sink. Then use a backstroke to propel yourself backwards. When you reach solid ground, roll away from the quicksand.

Quicksand

Snakes will avoid you, but if you happen to get bitten by venomous snakes, don’t try to suck the venom out as it is delivered straight to your bloodstream and could further infect the wound. Instead, hold the bitten limb below the heart level to prevent the venom from reaching your heart.

Wildlife dangers

<ul><li>If the bear hasn’t seen you, slowly backstep yourself out of the situation.</li><li>If the bear does see you, the bear is probably more afraid of you and will take off on its own.</li><li>If you are attacked, don’t run. Make yourself look big. Scream and act crazy.</li><li>In the event of an attack by a black bear, you should fight for your life.</li><li>The best chance of survival agains a grizzly bear is to curl up in a ball and play dead. Protect your head and neck, and hold on. The bear will end up leaving and moving on. When you know the animal has moved off into the underbrush, quietly get up and seek medical attention.</li></ul>

Running across some bears

<ul><li>Study the terrain, environment and wildlife of any new area before you enter it</li><li>Let people you know where you will be and how long you’ll be there.</li><li>Bring the necessary gear for the trip</li></ul>

Survival preparation

There's a lot of information about how to stay alive if you are trapped in a survival scenario. You don't have to watch all of them. Just this one. The top three ways of dying in the wilderness are falling, drowning and heart attack. Having a plan could be a strategy that saves your life. Staying uninjured, finding clean water and a way back to civilization are all paramount to survival. MORE SURVIVAL CONTENT: How Long It Takes To Get Frostbite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rzk13utRtM How To Survive A Shark Attack, According To A Shark Researcher https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLjrw9fzVcY The Deadliest Venomous Animals In The World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMR5nvvA3W8 ------------------------------------------------------ #Survival #Wilderness #ScienceInsider Science Insider tells you all you need to know about science: space, medicine, biotech, physiology, and more. Visit us at: https://www.businessinsider.com Science Insider on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BusinessInsiderScience/ Science Insider on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/science_insider/ Business Insider on Twitter: https://twitter.com/businessinsider Tech Insider on Twitter: https://twitter.com/techinsider Business Insider/Tech Insider on Amazon Prime: http://read.bi/PrimeVideo 7 Tips That Could Save Your Life If You Get Lost In The Wilderness

7 Tips That Could Save Your Life If You Get Lost In The Wilderness

Let’s imagine you find yourself on an airplane, in the sky, without a pilot. You are in a non-normal situation.A useful guide to your initial actions if you’re in such a pickle is a simple mnemonic called ANC: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.  So, aviate. You need to keep the plane in the safe, stable flight you found it in.

Up In The Sky With No Pilot

Use the control wheel and the horizon displayed on the attitude indicator to level the wings. If it’s gin-clear outside and the real horizon is obvious to you, feel free to use it.Next, take a look at the altimeter and the vertical speed indicator. Pick an altitude as your target—a simple number near your current altitude, like 10,000 or 15,000 feet. If you’re climbing away from your target, then very gently push the control column forward—that is, away from you—until you’ve stopped climbing.

Get On The Steering Wheel!

If you’re descending, then pull the control column back, toward you, until you’re not descending anymore. Be gentle, as it’s easy to overcorrect. Now, look at the airspeed indicator. Pick a target speed toward the higher end of the safe range. It’s impossible to give numbers for every airplane, but try 100 knots in a small plane, 250 knots in a small airliner, and 280 knots in something like a 747. If your speed is higher than your target, pull the throttles or thrust levers back slightly to reduce power. If it’s lower, then add power.

Picking A Speed After You Have Control On The Aircraft

The goal is to reach an equilibrium in which your speed and altitude are safe and stable. Note the pitch attitude and power setting at which this occurs. The problem, as you’ll soon realize, is that the inputs required to correct one aspect of your flight path will almost certainly upset another one. The best way to catch any unintended changes early is to move your eyes between the primary instruments in a consistent pattern. This pattern is called the scan, and scanning is something you have to constantly do.

Maintaining Being Alive

Sometimes (Scan!) just (Scan!) maintaining (Scan!) level (Scan!) flight (Scan!) requires you to hold an awful lot of forward or backward force on the controls. This brings up the important concept of trimming. Trimming, you might say, is a way of resetting the conditions under which the controls feel neutral. Or to put it another way, a perfectly trimmed plane would carry on doing what you want it to, even if you were to let go of the controls.

Trimming The Controls

Planes are typically trimmed by adjusting the positions of the panels and surfaces on the wings and tail that act on each of the three axes—roll, pitch, and yaw. Imagine an engine failure on a plane that has one engine under each wing. You’d need a lot of rudder input to keep the plane flying straight ahead as It’s tiring to hold that rudder position for a long time—and if you trim correctly, you won’t have to.

How To Trim The Plane

In routine flight, pilots most often trim in pitch, especially after a change of speed. Look for a trim wheel, or trim switches on the control wheel. If you find you have to hold a forward force on the controls to maintain level flight, slowly roll the wheel or switch forward until that force is no longer necessary. If you’re constantly pulling back, then trim backward.

Trim Wheel And Trim Switch

Navigate a safe flight path (in relation to mountains, storms, air traffic zones, and other aircraft) and communicate with the folks who need to know what you’re doing, or who can help you to achieve a safe outcome. For a trained pilot, navigation is a more immediate priority than communication (hence the order of the mnemonic, first A, then N, and last of all C). But for you the opposite is true, because unless you can see an airport right in front of you, you’re going to need outside help to remain clear of terrain and to find a runway.

The Next Step: Safe Flight Path And Communication

Radios work like a party line. Everyone tuned in to a given frequency can hear what anyone else says, but only one person can speak at a time. It’s basically a giant conference call in the heavens, one that can be quite intimidating for new pilots.To speak you need to press and hold a “Transmit” button, then release it when you’ve finished, just as you would on a walkie-talkie.

How To Talk In The Radio

There’s probably a button or switch on the control wheel, often on the back. If you’re sitting on the left side of the cockpit then it’s likely to be under your left index finger, a carefully chosen position that allows you to speak on the radio without removing your hand from the controls. Some switches rock up to transmit, and down to speak via the intercom that goes straight into the other pilot’s headset.

Finding The Radio 'Transmit' Button

You might also look for a “hand mic,” a microphone with a transmit button right on it. As you search for the transmit switch, keep in mind that on some control wheels and sidestick controllers there’s an autopilot disconnect button, often red, where your thumb might land. You do not want to press that.A pilot transmission often follows a standard four-part format: whom you’re addressing; who you are, expressed as a call sign, or identifier, that’s absolutely unique to your aircraft or your flight; where you are; and what you want.

Talking On The Radio While Flying A Plane

Use your flight number or the aircraft registration (it will probably be on a placard in the cockpit).Give your altitude and position—as best you know it—and a concise summary of your situation. Then release the transmit button (important!) and listen for a reply.If you don’t hear one, transmit again. If you still don’t hear a reply, it’s time to change frequency. Look for the radio’s control panel (below), which will have multiple digital displays of numbers in a certain format—typically three digits, a decimal point, and then a few more digits, such as 134.975.

Life-Saving Communication: Do It Right

If no one has responded to your initial call, the frequency to enter now is 121.500 MHz, the universal emergency frequency. Select this in the standby field, then swap the standby frequency into the active field by pressing the bidirectional arrow button. Change the frequency on all the panels you can find. Also, press every radio panel button with a “1” or “L” on or near it, to make sure you’re transmitting via the correct radio, and not, for example, repeatedly making a PA (public address) to the cabin. Then transmit your call.

What To Do In Case Of Radio Silence

Now that you’ve established communications, it’s time to navigate. Ask the controller for a direction to fly in to keep you clear of terrain and perhaps also bad weather—in some parts of the world the controllers can see weather systems on their screens. When the controller decides that you need to turn, he or she will give you a heading (known as a “vector”), measured in degrees, such as 090 degrees for east. Look down at the heading indicator and then gently turn the control wheel in the desired direction. You don’t want to roll too steeply.

Navigate The Plane

As you roll, you’ll need to pull back on the control column a little and probably add power too. That’s because some of the lift that was keeping you in level flight is now being deployed “sideways” to turn you. If you don’t create more lift, you’ll start to descend. Pulling back creates that lift (and the more steeply you bank, the more you need to pull). But it also creates more drag, so you’ll need more power to maintain your speed. And so it goes on. That’s why the scan is so important.

Pulling The Aircraft

Now you know how to keep the aircraft flying—to aviate. The controller you’re in communication with is helping you to navigate. In fact, you’ve earned a pause for another cup of tea (but actually, keep on scanning). Nor should you miss the chance to have a little fun (the technical aviation term for “fun,” by the way, is “familiarizing yourself with the feel of the airplane”). Try some gentle turns or climbs or, for extra points, combine them in a climbing turn. Enjoy!

Breathe Again

Up in the sky in the cockpit with no pilot.

Print this out and bring it with you on your next flight. Just in case.

How to Fly a Plane in an Emergency Situation

Horror movie tip: never split up. Monsters, murderers, and creeps have it easier when they can divide and conquer.Real world parallel: trying to better your fitness by yourself is harder than with a good support group.

Don’t Be Alone

Horror movie tip: Most horror movie bad guys are very slow but watch where you step so you don’t trip. Simply maintaining a brisk walking pace after sighting the enemy should be enough to get to safety.Real world parallel: Spend time leveling up your sprinting skills. It builds strength, power, VO2max, endurance and quality of life while also helping you lose weight if paired with a healthy diet.

Get Good At Sprinting

Horror movie tip: the unintelligent and unprepared often die in movies, so get smarter, train yourself and learn how to use tools and new skills.Real world parallel: take a tactical approach to both your training and your behavior. Train functionally so that your body is prepared to function. Use your environment, your body weight and free weights to exercise. will give you a better body and the best chance for survival.

Training Brains, Technique And Strength

Horror movie tip: Monsters can be deceptive, wearing disguises and playing dead, and lure you into a trap. Be a skeptic and think carefully before taking potentially dangerous actions.Real world parallel: remain a skeptic when trying to get healthy. Cheap thrills and easy paths often lead to nowhere or are harmful.

Be A Skeptic

Horror movie tip: characters whose main response to challenges are panicking, crying about it or giving up are annoying and make themselves easier prey.Real world parallel: In life, you’re gonna think things are getting better, only to find new challenges ahead. But giving up or despairing just leaves you longer with a problem, or even add to it. It’s your responsibility to fix it, so do it.

Complaining Will Get You Nowhere

Horror movie tip: characters often knock out a bad guy and then immediately run away, effectively giving them a chance to recover and try again. Don’t do it, incapacitate him and finish the job.Real world parallel: Make sure you finish what you started. Follow through with your health and fitness or pay the price.

Finish The Job

In honor of All Hallows' Eve, I wanted to cover a specific topic today: what you should do if you happen to find yourself suddenly stuck in a horror film.

What to do if you get lost in the woods

How to Prepare Your Home for an Emergency, According to Experts

7 Tips That Could Save Your Life If You Get Lost In The Wilderness

How to Fly a Plane in an Emergency Situation

How to Survive a Horror Film | Nerd Fitness

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