pants, socks, walking shoes, space blanket, and gloves or  mittens. Layered clothing provides flexibility to meet the  demands of the environment. Desert areas may be very hot  in the day and very cold at night. Prolonged exposure to  either condition can be debilitating. Layered clothing traps  air between layers, increasing heat retention. The parachute  canopy can be used as an effective layered garment when  wrapped around the body to conserve body heat or to  provide relief from excessive sunlight. Eye protection, such  as sunglasses, is more than welcome if conditions during  the day are bright, as they often are on good soaring days. Center (AFRCC) at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. The  AFRCC then takes the registration data and attempts to  ascertain the aircraft’s disposition. By calling the emergency  contact numbers, or by calling flight service stations with the  N-number, they can quickly determine whether or not the  aircraft is safe on the ground.  Since most activations are false alarms, the ability to resolve  them over the phone saves the AFRCC (i.e., U.S. taxpayers)  millions of dollars. More importantly, it saves SAR assets  for actual emergencies. If the AFRCC in unable to verify  the aircraft is safe on the ground, they launch a Search and  Rescue mission. This normally involves assigning the search  to the USAF Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol and may include  requesting assistance from the local SAR responders or law  enforcement personnel.  Communication can be electronic, visual, or audible.  Radios, telephones, and cell phones are electronic methods.  Signal mirrors, flashlight or light beacons at night, signal  fire flames at night, signal smoke during daylight hours,  signal flares, and prominent parachute canopy displays are  visual methods. Shouting and other noisemaking activities  are audible methods but usually have very limited range. A  whistle provides a good method for making sound. The unique digital code of each 406 MHz beacon allows it  to be associated with a particular aircraft. The registration  contains information, such as tail number, home airport,  type and color of aircraft, and several emergency points of  contact. This provides rapid access to flight plans and other  vital information. This can speed the search effort and can  be the difference between life and death. Coin, cash, or credit cards are often necessary to operate  pay phones. Charged batteries are required to operate cell  phones, two-way radios, and emergency locator transmitters.  Batteries are also necessary to operate flashlights or position  lights on the glider for signal purposes. A list of useful  telephone numbers aids rapid communication. The aviation  transceiver can be tuned to broadcast and receive on the  emergency frequency 121.5 MHz or any other useable  frequency that elicits a response. The ELT can be used to  provide a continuous signal on 121.5 MHz and/or the newer  406 MHz SAR system. A 406 MHz beacon on a downed  aircraft activates either automatically or manually. The ELT  transmits a digital identification code to the first satellite  that comes into range. The satellites receive the signal and  relay it to a ground station. If there is no ground station in  view, the satellite records the digital signal in its onboard  memory and downloads it to the next ground station. The  ground station processor measures the Doppler shift of the  signal and calculates its position; this calculation is usually  accurate to within 1.5 nautical miles on the first satellite pass  and is refined further with each pass. If the beacon has an  integrated GPS or is connected into the onboard NAVCOM,  the position is imbedded into the initial digital data stream.  After the ground station has completed processing, it  transmits the identification and position to the United  States Mission Control Center (USMCC). The USMCC  attaches the information contained in the 406 MHz beacon  registration database for that particular ELT and generates  an alert message. If the location lies within the continental  U.S., the alert is sent to the Air Force Rescue Coordination  Compact, commercially made medical or first aid kits are  widely available. These kits routinely include bandages,  medical tape, disinfectants, a tourniquet, matches, a knife  or scissors, bug and snake repellent, and other useful items.  Ensure that the kit contains medical items suitable to the  environment in which the glider is operating. Stow the kit so  it is secure from inflight turbulence but would be accessible to  injured occupant(s)after an emergency landing, even if injured. The parachute canopy and case can be employed to lay out  a prominent marker to aid recognition from the air by other  aircraft. Matches and a combustible material can provide  flame for visibility by night and provide smoke that may be  seen during daylight hours. Aviation charts help to navigate during flight and help  pinpoint the location when an off-airport landing is made.  Sectional charts have the most useful scale for cross-country  soaring flights. Local road maps (with labeled roads) should  be carried in the glider during all cross-country flights.  Local road maps make it much easier to give directions to  the ground crew, allowing them to arrive as promptly as  possible. GPS coordinates also help the ground crew if they  are equipped with a GPS receiver and appropriate charts and  maps. Detailed GPS maps are commercially available and  make GPS navigation by land easier for the ground crew. Medical Equipment Navigation Equipment Communication 8-29