I quickly learned that the sun and the target needed to be in front of me. It was just too difficult to try and aim if the angles between the plane and the sun were too large.
Yes, retroreflective aimers only work out to a sun-to-target angle of about 135 deg., and it gets pretty tricky as you approach that angle. Beyond that, you have fall back on another method, such as using your hand as a foresight. With the sun behind you, even before the angle reaches 135 degrees, your head can get between the mirror and the sun. One USAF survival manual trick for getting your head out of the way is to lie on your back. (here's a photo of 11 people doing so, with an amazing variety of signal mirrors:
Using Signal Mirrors with the sun behind you ) In the unlikely case you happen to have two mirrors, you can use one to reverse the sun so the sun-target angle for your signal mirror is within 135 degrees - the old tripod-mounted
Heliographs came with two mirrors, for just that purpose.
It was a good test though and a good experience. And from it, I would carry the largest mirror that I could. A glass mirror would probably be even better.
Yes, while my EDC mirror is a 2"x3" Rescue Flash, when I go to the mountains, I add a 3"x5" MIL-M-18371E USAF glass mirror from the 1960s. The 12"x12" glass mirror in my trunk is intended for experiments, not survival, though I'd certainly use it if it came to that.
Check and see if you have a Civil Air Patrol squadron in your area and, if you do, give them a call. Maybe they can help.
Excellent suggestion. Looking around the web, I've read about several CAP experiments with signal mirrors.
Previous Topic
Index
