AusSAR is the national search and rescue organisation based in Canberra. Our aircraft are regularly called upon to search for missing or overdue aircraft or vessels. These tasks can include tracking and homing of distress beacons.

All of the service's aircraft have special radio receivers fitted that are capable of direction finding. i.e. they will indicate on a display the direction and strength of a distress beacon signal. Distress beacons, also called EPIRB's and ELT's are fitted to most vessels and aircraft and are now small enough to be carried personally by bushwalkers etc.

The beacon signal may be picked up by over flying aircraft or a sophisticated series of satellites that relay the position to AusSAR for processing. The initial satellite position, which may be accurate to approx 30 nautical miles or 55 kilometres, is passed to the aircraft as a starting point for the search. Once a signal is detected by the homing receiver in the helicopter it is tracked to its origin- usually to within a few metres.

Recent searches have resulted in locating injured bushwalkers in a National Park, a person injured while white water rafting and a vessel sinking at sea. Thankfully, all with good outcomes. Once located these persons can be assisted with the dropping of rafts and survival equipment or if needed they can be winched aboard, treated by Paramedics and then flown to nearby hospitals.

Unfortunately, some of these beacon activations are malicious and a waste of time and resources.

For more information about AusSAR visit their website on www.amsa.gov.au