You might notice the thundering sound of helicopters in the air next weekend as the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, or CASARA, will be hosting some search and rescue drills north of Dauphin on March 18th.
The Search and Rescue Exercise, also referred to as SAREX will see four to five CASARA aircraft, drones, and possibly a C-130 Hercules plane flying through Dauphin air space practicing their abilities to spot down aircraft and other emergency situations from the skies.
Cadets from the Dauphin 50 RCACS will set up simulations of a crash site, Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELT), and wounded personnel. The RCMP will also be on the scene running ground-based searches as well.
Zone Commander Colin Bennett commented on the training event, and just how large scale it is.
"The idea behind the SAREX, this one is entitled tri-zone SAREX. thats our three zones in manitoba, zone one being winnipeg, zone two, the brandon area and north to include Dauphin, and zone 3 which is Flin-Flon and the Pas"
This tri-zone event is an effort to get all of the members together for a larger, more complex search scenario in order to keep proficient with situations that deal with larger areas and aircraft.
With the many training events taking place, it's sure to be a busy day for everyone on the ground, and in the skies.