Planes in the Corn
09-11-2009, 08:50 AM
#1
Planes in the Corn
This is a true story of my first real attempt to locate a downed aircraft in a cornfield using a GPS.
2 years back….
It was 15 minutes before lunch, Dan had just placed the burgers on the grill when I lookup only to see Pat’s plane heading down, it eventually drops behind a large tree and enters the corn. I have a good line of sight because the plane went down behind this large tree.
The peanut gallery start betting on how long or if we will find the plane. Pat the pilot is quite pissed and makes the statement, “will never find here, I’m not even going to try” at which point every one just sits back down and gets ready to eat.
Eager to try my new GPS (which I bought just for this) I go to the car pull it out along with the manual and sit down to lunch reading and playing with the GPS. After I finish lunch I go back to the flight line where I was standing and spend several minutes trying to figure out how to place a waypoint.
I inform my fellow fliers that I’m going to head out, they are still busy eating and on this rare occasion they let me head out on my own. This by the way is a good thing since I will need to make frequent stops to read the manually and figure out what I should do next. I stop and stand where I was when I saw the plane go down, I check my waypoint one last time, I look across the open runway to where the corn starts (500 feet or so and all the way to the big tree 2000 feet away), I make a mental note of a big weed just in front of the corn and in line with the tree.
When I arrive at the big weed I again take a minute or two to set a way point for the weed and then disappear into the 10 foot corn. Now I have my eyes focused on the GPS, as I try to follow the compass heading, after several hundred feet I notice that the path I have taken is not straight, I stop to ponder my options. This does not look so easy, how can I go in a straight line? At this point I setup the GPS so that my destination is the point where I started, the GPS plots a straight line on the screen to where I started. While looking at my meandering path of breadcrumbs on the screen I notice something, The straight line is not lining up with my second waypoint, the one by the big weed. At this point I now have a plan I will zoom in on the 2nd way point, and watch how the straight line( the line between where I am now and my start point) passes over or near the 2nd waypoint. As I correct my course I’m able to keep this line passing over the 2nd waypoint or at least really close. Now I have a way to follow a straight vector.
So with a plan and the GPS figured out I continue on, stopping as I cross each row of corn and looking both ways, then one or 2 steps to the next row again stop look left, right, stopping every 10 or 20 rows to check the GPS to make sure the line (vector) is still passing over the second waypoint(big weed).
After 20 minutes I reach the big tree, the one I believe the plane went down beyond. So I was able to follow the GPS to the tree, no big deal since I can see the tree when I get close, but it does show on the GPS that I’m still on coarse. I continue on knowing it’s likely another couple hundred rows of corn before I reach the plane, I still stop and check each row both ways, I don’t want to miss it.
Now I been out 25-30 minutes and my cell rings, Dan want’s to know if I got lost, I inform him that all is going well and I should just be getting to the right area. Dan and my fellow fliers are trying to get me to come back and give up. I press on. I check the GPS and see I’m on my vector, and step forward crossing several more rows of corn. Stopping at each row looking left and right each time, I don’t want to get lax now it should be close. Bingo… I nearly step on the plane, it’s directly in my path I was so intent on looking left/right I didn’t even see it till it was only a few feet in front of me.
Well this was the first time I used the GPS to find a plane and needless to say the results speak for themselves.
Happy plane hunting,
Matt
2 years back….
It was 15 minutes before lunch, Dan had just placed the burgers on the grill when I lookup only to see Pat’s plane heading down, it eventually drops behind a large tree and enters the corn. I have a good line of sight because the plane went down behind this large tree.
The peanut gallery start betting on how long or if we will find the plane. Pat the pilot is quite pissed and makes the statement, “will never find here, I’m not even going to try” at which point every one just sits back down and gets ready to eat.
Eager to try my new GPS (which I bought just for this) I go to the car pull it out along with the manual and sit down to lunch reading and playing with the GPS. After I finish lunch I go back to the flight line where I was standing and spend several minutes trying to figure out how to place a waypoint.
I inform my fellow fliers that I’m going to head out, they are still busy eating and on this rare occasion they let me head out on my own. This by the way is a good thing since I will need to make frequent stops to read the manually and figure out what I should do next. I stop and stand where I was when I saw the plane go down, I check my waypoint one last time, I look across the open runway to where the corn starts (500 feet or so and all the way to the big tree 2000 feet away), I make a mental note of a big weed just in front of the corn and in line with the tree.
When I arrive at the big weed I again take a minute or two to set a way point for the weed and then disappear into the 10 foot corn. Now I have my eyes focused on the GPS, as I try to follow the compass heading, after several hundred feet I notice that the path I have taken is not straight, I stop to ponder my options. This does not look so easy, how can I go in a straight line? At this point I setup the GPS so that my destination is the point where I started, the GPS plots a straight line on the screen to where I started. While looking at my meandering path of breadcrumbs on the screen I notice something, The straight line is not lining up with my second waypoint, the one by the big weed. At this point I now have a plan I will zoom in on the 2nd way point, and watch how the straight line( the line between where I am now and my start point) passes over or near the 2nd waypoint. As I correct my course I’m able to keep this line passing over the 2nd waypoint or at least really close. Now I have a way to follow a straight vector.
So with a plan and the GPS figured out I continue on, stopping as I cross each row of corn and looking both ways, then one or 2 steps to the next row again stop look left, right, stopping every 10 or 20 rows to check the GPS to make sure the line (vector) is still passing over the second waypoint(big weed).
After 20 minutes I reach the big tree, the one I believe the plane went down beyond. So I was able to follow the GPS to the tree, no big deal since I can see the tree when I get close, but it does show on the GPS that I’m still on coarse. I continue on knowing it’s likely another couple hundred rows of corn before I reach the plane, I still stop and check each row both ways, I don’t want to miss it.
Now I been out 25-30 minutes and my cell rings, Dan want’s to know if I got lost, I inform him that all is going well and I should just be getting to the right area. Dan and my fellow fliers are trying to get me to come back and give up. I press on. I check the GPS and see I’m on my vector, and step forward crossing several more rows of corn. Stopping at each row looking left and right each time, I don’t want to get lax now it should be close. Bingo… I nearly step on the plane, it’s directly in my path I was so intent on looking left/right I didn’t even see it till it was only a few feet in front of me.
Well this was the first time I used the GPS to find a plane and needless to say the results speak for themselves.
Happy plane hunting,
Matt
09-12-2009, 02:35 AM
#3
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: sydney, AUSTRALIA
Posts: 306
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Planes in the Corn
Hi here in Australia our club
http://www.wrcs.org.au/
We are surrounded by thick bush you can see the surrounds by having a look at one of the glider camera videos on the club web-site.
A few of us after spending a lot of time looking for downed aircraft in the very thick bush are using the Merlin tracking system.
http://www.merlin-systems.com/default.htm
This is a very small sender about the size of a postage stamp that is placed into the aircraft and transmits a constant pulse that can be picked up with the receiving antenna, it works up to about 3 miles.The transmitter is turned on and off before after the days flying with a small magnet that is wiped over the face of the sender.
You home in with the antenna, the antenna is kept in the flying sheds. We also use GPS as well.
As you will see from the video's some of the bush is dence and full of thorns that you have to cut your way in and even when you are where the signal is indicating that and are standing over the downed aircraft it is sometimes difficult to see it, without this system you would have a very tough job to find the aircraft.
I was convinced after spending 40 hours looking for an expensive aircraft.
With this system you can go direct to your aircraft no problems.
You don't go deep into this bush here lightly it is easy to get lost in the many hills and valley's and in the summer with temperatures 100 +degrees and more then the worlds fare share of dangerous snakes you take it seriously.
http://www.wrcs.org.au/
We are surrounded by thick bush you can see the surrounds by having a look at one of the glider camera videos on the club web-site.
A few of us after spending a lot of time looking for downed aircraft in the very thick bush are using the Merlin tracking system.
http://www.merlin-systems.com/default.htm
This is a very small sender about the size of a postage stamp that is placed into the aircraft and transmits a constant pulse that can be picked up with the receiving antenna, it works up to about 3 miles.The transmitter is turned on and off before after the days flying with a small magnet that is wiped over the face of the sender.
You home in with the antenna, the antenna is kept in the flying sheds. We also use GPS as well.
As you will see from the video's some of the bush is dence and full of thorns that you have to cut your way in and even when you are where the signal is indicating that and are standing over the downed aircraft it is sometimes difficult to see it, without this system you would have a very tough job to find the aircraft.
I was convinced after spending 40 hours looking for an expensive aircraft.
With this system you can go direct to your aircraft no problems.
You don't go deep into this bush here lightly it is easy to get lost in the many hills and valley's and in the summer with temperatures 100 +degrees and more then the worlds fare share of dangerous snakes you take it seriously.
09-12-2009, 08:58 AM
#4
My Feedback: (15)
RE: Planes in the Corn
1)Corm has been my friend as far as cuddeling my planes when I pull a bone head move and creat a spin I can recover from lol !!!
This year Barley , thick , dence , cant see thru it ect . I lost my P40 and the amish guy who was grwoing the barley near his corn , and next to my flying field did not like me looking in his barley
he said -" ya looking for a body "?
When I told him what I was looking for he relaxed but he probebly recovered my plane , rebuild it into a new fangled plow these guys are very good with junk
back on subject , I would to know how to find my planes , corn is good (most times ) but man you can get lost !!!
This year Barley , thick , dence , cant see thru it ect . I lost my P40 and the amish guy who was grwoing the barley near his corn , and next to my flying field did not like me looking in his barley
he said -" ya looking for a body "?When I told him what I was looking for he relaxed but he probebly recovered my plane , rebuild it into a new fangled plow these guys are very good with junk
back on subject , I would to know how to find my planes , corn is good (most times ) but man you can get lost !!!
09-12-2009, 09:42 AM
#6
My Feedback: (19)
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: joliet, IL
Posts: 1,596
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Planes in the Corn
Very helpful post Matt. Being a lost bird victim myself, I am loving my new Garmin handheld unit more and more after reading your well-written diagnostics. I hadn't ever considered throwing it into my field box, but after your post, it's got a new home. I know that it brings with it, at least a little peace of mind knowing the above.
09-12-2009, 01:23 PM
#7
My Feedback: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Indian Trail,
NC
Posts: 2,939
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Planes in the Corn
That was some great navigating Matt. What you did wasn't an easy thing to do. Great job of solving those navigating problems on the fly!
I know from Geocaching that even if you have the coordinates it's still had to find the right spot. If your looking for a down plane the GPS will help you stay on track in a search grid and get you back out the way you came in but it's still going to be tuff to find a downed plane.
Remember to mark locations stream crossings, big old rocks and so on as you go and keep a spare set of batteries. Also pay attention to where you are going incase your GPS gets broken or goes dead for some reason.
I've thought about putting one of these in a plane. https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=209&pID=8576# but desided the extra weight and cost wasn't worth it.
I know from Geocaching that even if you have the coordinates it's still had to find the right spot. If your looking for a down plane the GPS will help you stay on track in a search grid and get you back out the way you came in but it's still going to be tuff to find a downed plane.
Remember to mark locations stream crossings, big old rocks and so on as you go and keep a spare set of batteries. Also pay attention to where you are going incase your GPS gets broken or goes dead for some reason.
I've thought about putting one of these in a plane. https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=209&pID=8576# but desided the extra weight and cost wasn't worth it.
