Dd re: a Mgt MT Ly _FLIGHT AND GROUND crew of one of two tandem rotor armed forces search and rescue Labrador helicopters here last week to look for the missing Trans Provincial Airlines airplane confer before it flies off. The helicopters take up positions far apart in the search Anatomy of an air search — TERRACE — On a map, the search for a missing plane looks ‘uncomplicated. * Areas are blocked off in the search area and. aircraft and helicopters are assigned to each, _ In reality, the search for the twin-engine Piper Navaho flown by Trans-Provincial Airlines pilot Max Neubacher of Terrace and ‘Telegraph Creek passengers Karen Hawkins and her two children, Aaron 3, and Leanhe, 8, is quite different. The terrain between the Bron- son Creek airstrip in the Iskut Valley, from where the aircraft left Oct. 22, and Terrace re- quires, -Spiralling | downward around mountain. tops -' 00. ts “You. start..at the.. top: and wind down to the valley, fly the valley. and. start at~the next (mouniain),”* says searchmaster. Captain. Brad. White of 442 ‘(Search and Rescue) ‘Squadron based in Comox, ; . . It takes alot longer ~ it’s slow but it is very methodical, ” he said. _ ‘Bad weather. in the, search area last not only hampered ef forts to get to the area but what could: take. place once aircraft arrived over their assigned sec- tors. “Tf there’s cloud over one of the mountains, you go to the next one. Then you return. ‘You're dodging the clouds all the time,” said White. Last week, three Buffalo fix- ed. wing aircraft and two tandem-rotor Labrador helicopters from 442 Squadron were assigned to’ the search. They were backed ‘up by two Twin-Otters from 440 Squadron in Edmonton, ,one hired helicopter and five ‘aircraft flown by Provincial Emergency. Program. volunteers... The: Labrador: helicopters: fly far apart from each other-in the -.search area for maximum effec- tiveness in. fesponding to, ‘something that requires close observation, They are equipped with hoists, giving search and rescue technicians fast access to the ground, ‘On the military aircraft are flight engineers and on all are ‘navigators and spotters (called search and rescue technicians in “the military). ARMED FORCES searchmaster Captain Brad White stands beside search map of an area in which aircraft and crews: are’ looking for the missing, plane. ‘TERRACE - _ Backing’ vp: the - Canadian Armed: Forces search and Tescue squadron is a group -: pf volunteers." They come: from the'air’ group | ofthe’: Proviricial Emergency Program (PEP) and are’ already jedi search techni ait Tout: the ire, © “people wl o) ‘think :Sontingy ‘spotters. atic "\tlme is thelr ‘own and dthat/means “are either pilots: or have. faity and friends who fly, . The most important aspect of © their involvement is. training in. search, and spotting techniques, | says Arlene, ‘Moloney,. who hi been flying | for 10 years. ':. 1° We do this becatise weiwant AS : wlook;?' she:said | ‘are lield in: ‘spotting ‘procedure. “. ‘The volunteers either fly their ‘own planes of act as navigators, -ordinators - on the ground’: ; thelr fuel ib paid for b area so that they can respond quickly to and land or hover over areas of confirmed sightings. The craft are part of 442 Squadron based in Comox. When flying search patterns, it’s the spotters wha, in a sense, pilot the aircraft because they can ask that a particular area be flown again if they think they have found something. Each spotter is assigned an area in which to search and the looking is done by starting at the left and scanning back and forth. . “Ff something is seen, a spot- ter directs the pilot. They won’t leave until they are convinced it isn’t the airplane they are look- ing for,’’ said White. The kind of work required for spotting ‘puls: a strain on eyes and on concentration so spotters” rare relieved . every 20 minutes.:i° st : The PEP volunteer’ spotters ‘have: already gone through training and last week, a session was held for other volunteers. Last week’s search efforts _were not only hampered by weather but by a growing ac- cumulation of snow ‘on. the ground. The Piper Navaho is light-coloured and so would blend in with the snow on the ground, Tall timber also complicates spotting becausé searchers have to be almost on top of the trees « in order to spot a plane between | them on the ground. ‘Searchers last week concen- trated their efforts on a wide strip leading down. to Terrace from Bronson Creek. It not on- .. ly reflected possible flight paths but also takes into account what pilot Max Neubacher might have done. “You talk to fellow pilots, to the wife. You find what the pilot has done before, You take into account his experience, -You try.to get inside the head-of the pilot,”’ said White. - The search last week began with an overflight of the Piper Navaho’s presumed path with a Labrador listening for the former emergency locator transmitter the day the aircraft swent missing. Northing was heard and sear- chers then began flying the area at three different altitudes — 1500 feet, 1100 feet and 500 feet. BUFFALO search and rescue aircraft of 442 Squadron on Comox involved in the search receive continual maintenance and checks to ensure they are in proper order. taking. time. off to take part in - _ Searches, says Carol Johnson -. * from’ Smithers, She’s the PEP gir chief there and has come to Terrace to act in a relief role. : _-EClose (o'30 volunteers were: involved: ‘an’-various days last week asithe search continued. _ inthe ground is just as mportant’ as. what’ goes on. in: co-ordinators prepare search: the next day by: Wao: up lisis of assignments . Se Work the alr, ir 4 hight; ‘before. doj"” said Johnson, Otwiutization isa big part of wae effort is ho. confusion the next day,’ added Moloney. ‘They say the long days, rang- ing from 12 to 15 hours of co- ordination: and preparation, re- quire ‘working well as a group. “You-have to get along on such: [orig days arid go with the he: “PEP ‘group welcomes oluntees but. adds that those ¢ invited to come to straining exercise 4 ecaviseOf the training and re- ‘We. , Gultements. Involvéd in sear- - Wei want, to make sure there®:, ‘ch Terrace stan, Wotnesty, ober 91,1990 — ~ Page as: TO. THE TERRACE STANDARD “This <7 foolishn ess must An open letter to: . ‘The Rt. Hon, Brian Mulroney Prime Minister _ Dear Mr. Mulroney: ‘First of all, 1 fully realize you. have an extremely dif- ficull task ahead as 1 watched the news with absolute disgust at the despicable behaviour of the members of the Senate. [ feel it’s not ex- cusable in anyway and far ‘worse that any badly-behav- ed school class. A short note ‘on my background. I was elected in 1952 as a member of the B.C, Legislature and continued as amember for over 23 years; I was also Minister of Agriculture for six of those years. Since then, I’ve been consultant for various ‘ groups on government af- fairs, _ I must say I’ve never seen a worse performance at any time during 33 years in and around government. In my opinion, most of us as Cana- dians deserve better from our _ government institutions, We are all looking for answers and: leadership. in order to resolve some very serious problems. The first one con- cerns our massive debt, which is nearly’ double that of when you came into of- fice. This large debt is simply transferring our problems onto our children and grand- children. No government has faced up to this, which is not only economic incompetence but also morally unjust as it will place upon the coming generation with an impossi- i ible task. . ny strongly ° “feel ‘this is the cause of the obvious frustra- , tions showing in the whole Canadian society, The G.S.T. is only one symptom, let’s face it. None of us likes taxes, yet if we could but see a clear goal as to where our leaders of all parties want to take us, it would be accep- table: however, when we see that over 33 per cent of our total taxes are going to in- terest payments and we well know it will be over 40 per cent. In five years time, we all feel helpless. This won't create one job or give service to anyone. What if one-third of the G.S.T. went to interest payments, one-third to debt repayment, and one-third to help pay for debt repayment? I’m sure if this were done, most Canadians would even accept a 10 per cent G.S.T. as they would see clearly light at the end of the tunnel. I must say I supported you when you got elected in the hope that you could bring some order to our growing economic problems, over which the previous govern- "years cease ment had shown ‘such in- competence. Unfortunately for all Canadians, nothing changed and we continuedto | spend far beyond. our means. For all these reasons, the . only way you can turn things around is. first: of ..all to. abolish the Senate complete- ly, as [see no hope of reform as it’s gone too far. Then, set up a small task force of five non-elected people from ali major groups (labour, business, native leaders and two others who are not con- nected to any one group) to consider whether there is a need for some sort of a reformed Senate. (or other body) with clearly defined objectives, which in no way conflict with the elected “I've never seen a worse performance at any time during 33 in and around government.” House of Commons. I foresee a group whose responsibility would be more in the field to direct both research and development and the gathering of a sound, well-researched information * base that all groups in society could use without fear that it would be politically slanted. We simply have to have a clear direction as to our future in order to bring all Canadians together with a common. cause. Something unfortunately, which we haven’t seen since World War Il. It seems very clear, without blaming anyone, ~*ghat we have:slipped tito the _ habit of blaming others for all of ovr ‘problems without ‘looking at ourselves and ask- ing, ‘‘What have I done,’’ in an effort. to show clear leadership and an enticing future for coming genera- tions. My mother often said, “We only tear down others to bring them down to our level and that doesn’t raise our stature one bit.”’ I know you must get thousands of letters; however, 1 hope you will seriously consider the need “Abolish the Senate completely ... 1 see no _hope of reform as it's gone too far.” for substantial change, as I - suggest. The need is there to all Canadians, regardless of race, a clear vision of the bright future ahead for all if we forget out bickering (no matter what party we belong to) and all strive for solu- tions. Yours very truly, Cyril M. Shelford Victoria, B.C. On land claims By PETER DENNIS Native land claims are just one issue that has taken far to long to settle. Government officials have had more than enough time to negotiate with native leaders and‘come up with some ‘positive solu- _ tions. ‘| think if they had started dealing one on one, they pro- “bably. would have ‘gotten ‘somewhere: by now. But in- ‘stead they” keep’ prolonging - ‘the: ‘issue, » It’s no wonder: “they’re in the rut they’ rein. Now B,C, is saying that: because of native land claims » thé‘economy is going down. ~ Spare me. If government of- * ficials took.a serious look at- -this4 ‘assue, 1 think they would have. had. some kindof: solu: : tion by now. Instead they're’. ~ pointing’ fingers because they _ 6 4 year. | don’t. have any solutions’t - the’ cutrent problem...” ‘Native’ land: claims< are: ‘and. have to, , be. Seat: “egal ‘ with sooner or later, I'm quite sure our Prime Minister and Mr. Vander Zalm could sit down and negotiate and solve native land claims in a more civil manner. It’s not just the natives who ‘want this settled; there are a lot of non-natives who support the’ issue as well. Unless the government starts - ~ getting it’ together, they’ Te going to remain ‘on: the hot seat for a long time. ' This is going to carry. on to the next government, as well, . No one's’ going to rest util there is-a settlement”: ‘some. - where down the line. -- Peter Dennis,’ a “ graduate’ of last year's Pathway educa-" tion and career: preparation” program, is-* ‘ taking... adult basic education at Northwest ' Community College This. pitoe arose from: a writing assignment given hitn:: ‘, as part of or one af his Courses. _ Vi Eley fees ad. bel lge wa OE at Pat AA Pak Soe eee = fete ech nile nin ht wag RS tha . é ' ~, J pdehad ditt bat’