AUCKLAND REGIONAL MICROLIGHT AERO CLUB. (ARMAC)
SAFETY OFFICER'S CORNER (PAGE 2)
Page
1
HELIOGRAPHS
- Probably in sunlight the most powerful
signalling light available. Great on the ground for blinding your neighbours
because one can see the reflection and guide it quite easily to create maximum
annoyance. Useless though for signalling searching aircraft because there is no
way of aiming it accurately. Well there is! Buy a plastic mirror from your local
camping shop (about $6.00). They usually have a hole drilled at one end. Drill a
10mm hole in the centre, (drill from the back side). This becomes the aiming
aperture. Tie a 2 foot long piece of string through the small hole. Get a
plastic teaspoon and drill a 10mm hole in middle of the spoon part and a 5 mm
hole in the handle end, as close to the end as you can. Tie the other end of the
string through the 5 mm hole. Finished! Now wait for your prey. When at last an
RNZAF Orion arrives, hold the mirror close to your face, (men: shiny surface towards
the aircraft to avoid an ugly surprise, and ladies: other way around initially
to check the make up), and peer through the aiming aperture at
the aircraft. In your other hand hold the spoon at string length and align it so
that your line of sight runs through the aiming aperture in the mirror, through
the 10mm hole in the spoon, and thence to the aircraft. You are now ready for
action. Wobble the mirror so that the reflection is centered on the 10mm hole in
the spoon, all the while keeping the aircraft in sight through the lined up
apertures. Make one of these handy gadgets and keep it in the aircraft.
It even doubles as a shaving mirror so you can make yourself presentable when
finally rescued.
