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Yes the cameras are digital, but after you take the photo, you still need to tie it to the ground, so you know where to photo goes. This means you must figure out to a pretty high degree where the camera was and what angle it was looking when the photo was taken, since you have to resample the photo to remove differences in scale in near and far pixels. You also need to know enough information about the position to know how to rotate the camera so it the photo is actually pointing north. The 172 and 182s are pretty rough rides, so camera positioning is a bit tricky.

As far as using USAF equipment, CAP is partially funded as the official auxiliary of the USAF. CAP gets enough money to maintain the fleet of aircraft, some training, and missions cost (fuel). One reason the USAF funds CAP, is to handle these type of missions. CAP has two advantages in this regard:

(1) To see something from the air, low and slower is usually better, and CAP aircraft are slow and can fly relatively low. (CAP is sometimes called the Low-Slow Air Force),

(2) To put it bluntly, cost For an hour of flying time, with the volunteer aircrew and the light aircraft being used, it cost around $200 for CAP to fly. It may cost $2000 an hour for an Air Force flight crew, with their aircraft to fly. Last I heard there were 7 CAP aircraft, flying at least 8 hours a day, so $11,200 vs $112,000 a day. It is very sad to say that life saving comes down to accounting, but money is always a finite resource .

As far as new technology, CAP is upgrading, new communication equipment, the ARCHER system for multi-spectral searching, research using FLIR, and wide spread use of GPS to accurately report where a crash site is. It takes time to purchase, equip, and train people to use this gear.

I deeply appreciate the tough times the Fosetts are going through, and I pray that they find Mr. Fosetts soon. I know from experience that the CAP members in Nevada and California would love more people and better equipment, as they stay focused on finding the missing pilot.

CAP tries its best, doing what they can, with what they have. CAP takes this duty very seriously, as last month showed, when during a search for a missing fisherman, a three member flight crew lost their lives.

Finally, as far a Google Earth, in CAP I have used it myself, on missions for planning. I am sure its abilities will grow, but for now, people need to realize that even Google has limits .

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So what i read out of this is

CAP is underfunded not well maintained not equiped to todays technology. (personal opinion)

Understanding google earth is just a Viewing tool and the data that you can put into is what makes google earth a definative resource. So google in no way has limits, the data we add to it is the limit.

"Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them."

Francis, Brendan


Edit

Archer system is good but cheaper methods are available and can be mounted to a plane

Pict Earth (think outside the box)

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Aim: jasonbtwc

Edited by JasonBo (09/06/07 11:50 AM)

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