Double The Value of Your Donation to Equipped To Survive (Limited Time Opportunity)

The Equipped To Survive Foundation has announced that it has received a substantial Challenge Grant from Mr. Allen Wolpert. Wolpert has generously offered to match all donations made to the Foundation through March 30th up to $3000 in matching funds to support Doug Ritter's continued participation in COSPAS-SARSAT and RTCM meetings. These standards setting committees are working towards more effective and realistic minimum performance standards for 406 MHz Emergency Beacons and towards establishing minimum performance standards for GPS receivers integrated into these beacons.

These revised and new standards being developed are a direct result of Doug's revelations a year ago of deficiencies in some emergency beacons. These are detailed in the Foundation's Report on real-world and laboratory performance tests of 406 MHz Location Protocol (GPS enabled) Emergency Beacons www.equipped.org/406_beacon_test_toc.htm. 

Identifying the problems was the first step. Doug is now on the inside, attending these meetings, working with the manufacturers and government agencies, and representing the consumer whose survival may hinge on the these beacons entire system working as claimed. Read Doug's Status Report on the work done to date at www.equipped.org/406_beacon_test_status0205.htm.

Wolpert and other ETS Foundation supporters recognize the importance the performance standards being developed now will have on safety in the future. Doug, and ETS Foundation, can most effectively improve safety in the future by helping define better standards before products come to market, rather then be left in the position of exposing flaws in products after they have been purchased by consumers, as has so often been the case. Your contributions are needed to support Doug's continued advocacy at COSPAS-SARSAT and RTCM meetings in 2005 in London, Washington D.C. and St. Petersburg.

If you are a sailor, pilot, hiker, or engage in almost any wilderness sports, or have family or friends who might someday depend on rescue via a 406 MHz Emergency Beacon, then your tax-deductible contribution may someday make a life or death difference. This is a smart investment in the future.

ETS tells ANN that with Wolpert's Challenge, "you can DOUBLE THE VALUE of your tax-deductible donation, so please donate now by sending a check (all funds go to ETS Foundation) or by making a donation by credit card (cost to ETS Foundation is 3%). Donate $150 and we get $300 ... Donate $500 and we get $1,000 ... Donate $1,000 and we get $2,000. The cost of travel is a major expense. If you have loads of frequent flyer miles, why not help by donating a Frequent Flyer Award to help Doug travel to these meetings." For more information go to www.equipped.org/donate_ff_tickets.htm. (Donations of Frequent Flyer Awards do not count for the Wolpert Challenge).

Important E-I-C Note: The "Equipped To Survive" Program is a labor of love for a dedicated flyer by the name of Doug Ritter. A good friend of ANN, Ritter's efforts deserve far more support than he's seen so far, especially when you consider the quality and criticality of the information he has imparted, for free, to our community. ANN is chipping in $500 (thereby earning him a cool $1000) to get the ball rolling, and we urge ANN readers everywhere to do as much as they can to support this vital aviation resource.

FMI: www.equipped.org/donate.htm to make your donation