Dale Carlson Memorial Spidertracks Award

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 Determined to remember the loss of their father, husband, son, brother, and friend, the Dale Carlson Memorial Foundation partnered with spidertracks, Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation, Northern Lights Avionics, and the Alaska Airmen Association to help to keep Alaskan pilots safe. The Memorial Foundation provides spidertracks tracking devices and a year of service to Alaskan pilots in a competitive scholarship-type application process. The scholarship is directed toward new, Alaskan-based pilots who may not otherwise have the funds to outfit their planes with important safety features. “Flying is an expensive passion. Many times new pilots may be forced to sacrifice what we feel are critical safety features. The purpose of the Dale Carlson Memorial Foundation is to put a spidertracks unit in as many planes as possible,” says, Harry Kieling, Chairman of the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation. The spidertracks satellite tracking system is designed to help take the “search” out of “search and rescue.”

The spidertracks devices, when installed in an aircraft, send a GPS position location to a web-service every couple of minutes, which in the event of an emergency, may be used to locate the aircraft in distress. Dale Carlson had a spidertracks system in his airplane when it went down in Prince William Sound in April, 2015. While he did not survive the accident, searchers were able to find the wreckage within hours, thanks to the flight track and position information provided by this safety equipment. The Carlson family wants to help other aircraft owners enhance their flight safety by using spidertracks equipment. The program is also supported by the spidertracks company (www.spidertracks.com), which is based in New Zealand, Northern Lights Avionics, based in Anchorage, and the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation and Alaska Airmen Association. Interested aircraft owners may apply to receive a device, and one year’s free subscription service, by filling out an application; two spidertracks units have already been awarded to Alaskan pilots.

Eligibility requires a pilot hold at least a private pilot certificate, be based in Alaska and fly a minimum of fifty hours per year.

For questions, please contact the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation at (907) 243-7237, or more information, see: https://www.facebook.com/dalecarlsonmemorialscholarship/