I’m cold. I’m just so terribly cold.

Huddled in the cockpit of my much loved, aged, but airworthy Cessna 150, I contemplate the finger pads on my right hand. They are torn and bleeding from freezing to the door as I dragged myself back into the aircraft.

The snow swirls madly outside. I can barely see the forest on either side of what looks like an abandoned access road. This weather wasn’t supposed to arrive until tomorrow.Winter’s first blast caught me completely unawares.

My winter joyride began to unravel not long after I arrived in the practice area north of my home airfield. With the family away for the weekend, I relished the time puttering around the airport, enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and attending to some of the winter preparation chores I’d missed in the fall. Best of all, I looked forward to logging a couple of hours of flight time.

I found myself at the furthest edge of the area. Well, truth be told, I had gone somewhat further north than intended when I discovered my newly installed new-to-me radio had failed. No warning, no static, no lights, just no power.
As I fiddled, hoping to restore the radio, I did not notice the weather move in behind me. It had moved faster than I had anticipated when I checked before takeoff. Visibility decaying, forced lower and lower, I began frantically to look for anywhere to land. I barely had time to make a proper approach and only one chance to put the aircraft onto this completely hostile stretch of barely cleared roadway.

Initially, I congratulated myself on simply being alive and on the ground with the aircraft seemingly in one piece. My ankle turned badly as I got out to inspect the craft and my surroundings. After I fell, screaming in pain, I dragged myself back inside to figure out just what to do. I wished I’d told someone where I intended to go.

Now, wet jeans and t-shirt beginning to rind with ice, I’m surprised my fingers don’t hurt. But, then again, I’m getting very tired and I’m just so terribly cold.

Sound farfetched? Would you perform better in such a scenario? How do you know?

The majority of survival situations involving aircraft begin with just such scenarios, according to Pete Wise, a 30-year search and rescue team member, and survival skills trainer. A forced landing or the inability to depart remote areas is often due to illness, mechanical difficulties or inclement weather.

“Preparation, experience, practice and a strong will to live,” says Wise, are the keys to surviving these highly dangerous situations. “You can have the best survival kit in the world, but if you haven’t practiced using what’s in it, you are in for a very tough go.”

As the recipient of the Governor General’s Life Saving Award, Wise knows of what he speaks. He uses a blend of lifelong bush experience and formal training in comprehensive survival skills to teach commercial pilot trainees, both in the classroom and in the field, what they need to know to save their own lives and those in their care. He also teaches survival skills classes for BC Hydro, Telus and other corporations, as well as freelance training to anyone.

“The premise [of the pilot training] is you are down, breathing and generally uninjured.”

The first step to improving the odds of survival are taken long before leaving the ground, says Wise. “Tell someone where you are going, follow proper procedures and file a flightplan.” Wise advocates in-depth planning and preparation for a forced landing or crash situation.

While survival kits are mandatory equipment for all aircraft, Wise says these kits are only the beginning of what any pilot should carry at all times. He strongly recommends a careful and no less than annual inspection of the mandated survival package.

“Take everything out and look at it carefully. You may find out some of the things you took for granted in that kit might not work as you thought,” he says. “I’ve seen survival rations eaten by bugs until all that was left was sawdust and husks of deceased bugs.”

The tiniest of details must not be overlooked. Wise notes waterproof matches that have not been treated by dipping in paraffin are susceptible to dampness from condensation due to pressure changes within the package as it rises and descends with the aircraft. Without the paraffin dip, these essential tools could well be useless when they are needed most.
Every pilot should always carry extra survival and comfort gear. Some experts suggest wearing a multi-pocketed vest filled with survival items while aloft in case you are separated from the aircraft or survival kit. Consider the terrain being crossed, not just the departure and arrival points when selecting additional items to take.

Depending on the season, having bug repellent, a hat, parka and mitts are all essential elements of that extra bag. An axe, Wise notes, is the single most versatile survival tool available and should be included in any aircraft’s inventory when flying over remote areas. Stow with care, of course.

Likewise, an ignition source and ready fuel source should also be a staple. Wise suggests 100 per cent pure cotton balls impregnated with simple petroleum jelly kept in a sturdy ziploc bag. “You feather some out and it will light with a single spark, and I mean right now.” A single cotton ball treated in this way will burn for five to seven minutes — long enough for kindling to light.

When overflying less intense terrain,Wise says packing a few extra items in your briefcase may be enough to influence the outcome of a forced landing or crash.

Imaginative solutions to survival situations will often dictate the outcome of a crisis.

 “Your survivability is governed by your lack of imagination,” says Wise. “For example, think about how many uses petroleum jelly would have in a survival situation. You can use it as a firestarter, a lubricant, a first-aid treatment for blisters and all sorts of things.” Not surprisingly, Wise cites both imagination and attitude as major contributors to survival.

“You can see an 80-year-old woman come out of a survival situation just fine and at the same time see a burly 25-year-old guy just lay down and die.” How you assess your circumstances and surroundings also plays a role. “When you see a tree fallen across a trail, you may see it as an obstacle but I say, ‘Yahoo, there’s my survival shelter already half built and enough material close at hand to finish it.’”

Carefully chosen in-flight clothing can also increase the odds of survival. Cotton, for instance, can be a deadly choice as it insulates poorly and dries slowly if at all.

“You climb in your heated cockpit wearing a t-shirt, polyester pants and complete confidence in the aircraft only to find yourself forced down somewhere in subzero temperatures and wind-chill, he says. “I recommend wool dress pants instead. They can gain 30 per cent of their weight in water and still keep you warm. And how about throwing a parka or a sleeping bag in the back? Down or synthetic fill weighs nothing.”

Wise also emphasizes pilots, most of whom regularly drill themselves on emergency procedures in the airplane, need to learn and continually practice campcraft. “There is no point finding yourself [safely] on the ground only to die of hypothermia,” he says.