[WoodsCustom]

http://rotc.okstate.edu/pdf/FM%2021-...%20Signals.pdf

Or at least be familiar with them.

Pay attention to Chapter 5 and at least learn them.

WoodsCustom

[Celticwarrior]

Yeah, knowing hand signals can be a lifesaver if a SAR chopper or search plane flies overhead. You may only get ONE chance at telling them you are in trouble, so you better know the signals.

I remember a story from way back in the 70's. Guy who was up in Alaska, a photographer, was dropped off at a lakeside campsite with a ton of supplies and such. Spent the summer there, taking wildlife pics and enjoying the solitude. Problem was that he didn't confirm the return flight pickup with the pilot who brought him in, and he was marooned there. During his ultimately fatal ordeal (he shot himself after having gone through a bad bout of starvation and fever and beginning to lapse back into illness, with no hope of rescue in sight), he ONCE saw a search plane go over top of his camp. Instead of making a universal sign for HELP or STOP, he waved his orange sleeping bag overhead in a side to side motion a few times, and then pumped his fist into the air (like a little cheer, he said in his diary). He was disappointed when they didn't come back for him, even though they saw him.
Later he recounted that the signals he gave were roughly "All ok, continue on". That was also the estimation of the pilot who did the over-flight when an investigation was conducted on what went wrong.

His name was Carl McCunn, and he died a useless death, suiciding rather than suffer further starvation after dumping most of his ammo in the lake, because he felt like a "war-monger" with all that extra firepower (which he could have used later on); not having told anyone to come looking for him at a specific time and place (no one wanted to do that because he had thrown a FIT when he was "rescued" once before, when he said he was in no actual danger and people just "overreacted"); and he didn't know the proper signals to tell an aerial rescuer that he was in trouble and needed evacuation.

[WoodsCustom]

EXACTLY what I am talking about.

The Helicopter pilot may need your help landing. Its hard telling. It would suck blowing your only shot to be rescued.

WoodsCustom

[Roadracer]

Originally Posted by WoodsCustom

EXACTLY what I am talking about.

The Helicopter pilot may need your help landing. Its hard telling. It would suck blowing your only shot to be rescued.

WoodsCustom

Though in most cases all the pilot does is call in a grid position to the ground crew. A Pilot won't leave you for dead because you couldn't help him land.

[WoodsCustom]

But if he crashes because you couldn't guide him around something, you can stand by the burning wreckage to keep warm.

You will be easier to find when they send the second helicopter.

WoodsCustom

[C#orBflat]

That's an awful lot to memorize.

.

[Celticwarrior]

There are a variety of sources that show the basic 9 or 10 ground to air signals, for both hand signal and placement of objects into symbols that have specific meaning. It is pretty easy to remember a few easy ones, and make sure you can use them. For example, if I am trapped in a place I can't possibly get out of or am completely and utterly lost and I need rescue, I have no problem with the idea of using a "need medical evac" sign to convey the urgency of needing a rescue, even if I don't actually need it for medical reasons. If that is the only one I can remember that will get immediate attention from a pilot, hell yes I will use it and explain my actions once my butt is in a seat on the way to civilization and a hot meal. The more specific the signs you learn, the more you can convey at a distance (provided the person on the other end knows the signs too). Like semiphore or morse code, it is a great idea to know the codes, but unless the other side knows them too, it is just an academic exercise. But....I'd rather know it and not need it, than the other way around.

Most of the rest of what is shown in the link is the hand signals for a military patrol, and unless you are planning to form your own platoon, and go off into the woods, you likely won't need most of that.

[LaRemnant]

Fo sho. I need to brush up on this because I forgot like... %99 of this... Although more than likely in the near future, waving that you need help will probably get you shot at and your (or your groups) location coordinates be compromised by being given to the beastly agents...

[tjwilhelm]

Originally Posted by LaRemnant

( Although more than likely in the near future, waving that you need help will probably get you shot... )

One hand signal not mentioned here comes from old, speculative Freemasonry. The universal signal for help, among fellow Freemasons, worldwide, used to be just a matter of raising both arms straight over head...kind of like a response to "Stick'um up!" or "Hands up!"

If you use this one, and there are any Freemasons within eyeshot, they'll come running to help a brother. On the other hand, if the "bad" guys see it, they'll likely think you're being submissive, and it may avoid a bullet in the head.

[pete1gun]

Originally Posted by tjwilhelm

One hand signal not mentioned here comes from old, speculative Freemasonry. The universal signal for help, among fellow Freemasons, worldwide, used to be just a matter of raising both arms straight over head...kind of like a response to "Stick'um up!" or "Hands up!"

If you use this one, and there are any Freemasons within eyeshot, they'll come running to help a brother. On the other hand, if the "bad" guys see it, they'll likely think you're being submissive, and it may avoid a bullet in the head.

exactly , you put your arms up in the air in the shape of a Y as to say yes I need help, that is probably one of the most important hand signals that any of us will need if stranded, now if you are in hostile territory then more or less you should always try to keep your wits about you and try to figure out friend or foe before making your presence known and hope that God is on your side, but realistically most of us wont be in a hostile territory unless , you are trained military or just really stupid.