I'm the Safety Manager for a new flight training organization in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (NE corner of UAE, just on west side of mountains bordering Oman). We intend to start flight training at the end of this year or early in 2008, using the Cirrus SR22 and the Eclipse E500 VLJ for turbine transition. One of my primary tasks is survival and med kit design/procurement. I've long been aware of Equipped To Survive and now need to even become more interactive with it through this forum.
As for our flight ops, we will have a full-time staff of dispatch and flight supervisory personnel. This will permit strict monitoring of due-back times and prevention of our a/c becoming overdue for any extended amount of time (thereby avoiding extended overnight survival situations by downed air crews, hopefully!). We are fairly certain that there will be readily available SAR assets in the area should we need to initiate SAR actions. The typical crew on our flights will consist of one Instructor Pilot (I.P.) and two students (one flying, one observing, then switching at an outlying airport), therefore the survival kit must sustain three adults for an appropriate amount of time. These are just a few of my primary kit design/component selection parameters. Obviously, the learning curve here is essentially vertical, with this task being just one of many competing for my time and attention.
I'm figuring the key components will address signaling, water/small amt of food, shelter, and first aid. How about some component selection/kit design factors from forum readers on where possibly I should be going with this initiative? In advance, THANKS!! If you need further details, respond to this post and we'll go from there....

Welcome to the fire newguy! Sounds like you have a very interesting job.

What can you tell us about the possible terrain and weather that the downed pilots may encounter? Judging from the location I'm guessing hot and rocky with little available ground water. Is the area sparesly inhabited or are there a lot of villages around? Would it be safe for the flyers to approach the local population?

I'm thinking a lot of water and some high-quality signalling devices go in the kit first.

-Blast

I think you need the advise of an expert, not just anyone who logs onto this site. Contact Doug.
simon

Keeping in mind, there is a vast wealth of knowledge amongst the members; I am going to make a suggestion that you seek the consulting services of a professional for this endeavor. The professional, I would suggest is Doug Ritter himself.

From the forum members you will receive a whole host of excellent suggestions, but what you need is a comprehensive and complete assessment of your needs by a professional who has the knowledge to provide a comprehensive response to your specific needs.

Just my 2 cents-

Pete

Strange, EtAl.,

I've been working at GAMCO in Abu Dhabi off and on over the past year. While I'm no expert in desert or over water survival (Arabian Gulf) I'd strongly suggest you include; an IRIDIUM Sat-Phone, GPS, and as much water as you can carry.

Regards,
Wild_Weasel

You might want to have a look at the Thuraya SG2520 smart/sat/gps/triband gsm/camera phone at
http://www.thuraya.com/content/thuraya-smartphone.html

I would strongly suggest taking a look at this link:

http://www.dougritter.com/DR-aviator_survival_pak_index.htm

Also, there's a section on the main ETS-site concerning Aviation surival.

Welcome Newguy!!!

As said below, contact Doug, and check out the info on his website...

I read your post first thing this morning. Engaging Doug's professional services would probably be a sound investment.

I am going to suggest that you equip the instructors and students with the following:
Parachute.
Survival vest
Contents:
2 litre bladder pack.
Torch, LED with spare batteries.
Signal Mirror.
Flares & Smoke Flares.
Broad brimmed Hat.
Sunblock.
Sunglasses.
Clasp knife.
Topographical map.
Sun compass.
Magnetic compass.
AMK heat sheet.
Basic First Aid kit.
Blood chit.
Lighter and cigarettes.
GPS,
SAT Phone.(instructor).
PLB.

Most of it is self explanatory, except for the sun compass, cigarettes and the blood chit.

Sun compass: Magnetic compasses are unreliable in that area. The SAS etc use a device that allows you to determine direction from the sun. Do a Google search for it.

Blood chit: This is a document that informs the reader that you will pay $0000 for the bearer. Provided that they are delivered to you alive and intact. Intact means still in possession of his family jewels. In a woman's case it means unmolested.

Cigarettes: One of the quickest ways to break the ice with a local is to offer him a fag. Its not PC but it works.

If you come down in the desert there is a fair chance that you will be found by the locals first. Depends on who they are, you will either be helped or murdered for what you have on you. A blood chit is to help persuade them that helping you is a lot more profitable.

I also think that a Desert Survival course should be a required part of the curriculum. Students should be also schooled in local culture, morals and mores. Specifically what not to do, how to avoid giving offence and how to greet people, showing them respect without appearing like a victim.

Thats not a problem, in UAE, Oman and Yemen, political correctness hasn't quite caught on yet!