Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (Jul 27/98) - Annie Angoyuak says searching for downed aircraft involves more than sitting on a plane and gazing at the ground.

"We have to learn how to do a proper spotting. It's not just looking out the window. You have to make sure you know what patterns to use," says Angoyuak, who has become familiar with standard search and rescue procedures since she was elected zone commander of Iqaluit's Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) this spring.

Drawing her orders from the Department of National Defence, Angoyuak is responsible for ensuring that enough trained spotters are prepared when the military asks for help in locating a missing aircraft.

"I have to make sure they have their equipment, their necessary training documents, keep in contact with the plane and do a de-briefing after," says Angoyuak.

Her colleague, Cam McGregor, says that CASARA volunteers have to be fully equipped with the same techniques the military uses in its operations.

"The military is very concerned that search standards in the North are identical so they don't have to do all the work again," says McGregor. He adds that the DND realized that by using teams trained under the military, a search could be executed more quickly and at a fraction of the cost.

"Every dollar that was spent on encouraging volunteers to undertake these rapid responses saved the federal government $7," says McGregor.

In addition, the cost of taking a First Air Twin Otter out on a mission rings in at between $800 and $1,400 an hour while a Hercules from the south costs a minimum of $40,000 just to get it here.

McGregor says CASARA's next step is to establish a board in Nunavut that can look at setting up similar groups in Rankin Inlet and Resolute Bay. Cambridge Bay trained a team earlier this spring.

"The military would love us to have a spotter group everywhere but if we have groups in those four communities, we'll do well," says McGregor, who notes that CASARA was first formed in the 1980s to unite the smaller groups performing search and rescues under one national body.

Anyone who is interested in joining CASARA in Nunavut can contact any of the local members to register. Volunteers are asked to be willing to learn, be stable and available for work and over 18 years of age, have good eyesight and a good character.

"It's very rewarding, there's a lot of potential to learn and get things done," says Angoyuak.