Searching in some of the most rugged areas in the most mountainous state in the United States, the Nevada National Guard anticipated continuing its search to determine the whereabouts of millionaire adventurer and pilot Steve Fossett through September.
Through Sept. 14, the Nevada Air National Guard was flying two C-130 sorties each day with aircraft equipped with Scathe View technology in search of the famous pilot who disappeared Sept. 4. The Nevada Army Guard was also making daily flights with two OH-58 observational helicopters. One UH-60 Blackhawk investigates leads in the search and a HH-60 Blackhawk specially equipped with medical evacuation gear remains on stand-by. All of the helicopters in the search are now based at the Flying M Ranch near Yerington, Nev., the location where Fossett began his flight.
The search has grown to encompass about 17,000 square miles of northwest Nevada and stretches into the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada in California.
"We have not determined a deadline when to cease the search," said Nevada Air National Guard Capt. April Conway. "The Nevada National Guard will search until the state tells the National Guard to stand down."
In the early days of the search, the Nevada Air Guard C-130s were flying about four sorties per day. The ongoing C-130 searches launch at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day and continue for about four to five hours before ceasing at twilight. The C-130 aircraft and a Nevada Army Guard UH-60 also flew late into the night during the early days of the search as they were the only aircraft in the region equipped to search at night, but night-time searches have now been discontinued.
Nevada Army Guard observational helicopters equipped with Forward Looking Infrared Radar continue to play an important role in the search. The FLIR system enables pilots to steer their vehicles in low visibility situations and detect warm objects against a cold background even in complete darkness.
The Nevada ANG's Scathe View imagery system consists of a sensor mounted to a modified C-130. The turret is controlled by on-board imagery analysts working at a sensor control work station. The analysts can link full motion video to ground staff for review. The Scathe View equipment is manned by the Nevada ANG's 152nd Intelligence Squadron.
At times, the aerial search has included up to 14 aircraft and is aiming to encompass an area two times larger than New Jersey. According to Nevada Army Guard Maj. Ed Locke the cost of the search through Sept. 14 for the National Guard is estimated to be about $475,000.
Other organizations who have provided aircraft for the search are the Nevada and California Civil Air Patrols and California and Nevada Highway Patrols.
According to wire reports, Fossett, 63, the first person to circle the world solo in a balloon, took off solo Sept. 4 from an airstrip at hotel magnate William Barron Hilton's Flying M Ranch, about 70 miles southeast of Reno near Yerington, flying a single-engine Bellanca aerobatic airplane. It was equipped with a locator that sends out a satellite signal after a rough landing, but no such signal has been received by aviation officials.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Fossett did not file a flight plan. Apparently he was scouting out areas for a land-speed record attempt. A Northern Nevada newspaper said Fossett has an application pending before the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for a permit in Nevada's rural, central Eureka County to attempt to break the land-speed record of 766.6 mph.
In addition to his aerial exploits, Fossett has swam the English Channel, participated in the Iditarod dog sled race and driven in the 24 Hours of Le Mans car race.