EDSB Mystery Cache

The Story is only available in english due to the BZF 1 (Restricted Flight Radiotelephone Operator´s Certificate).

Die "Geschichte" ist nur auf Englisch verfügbar. Sie unterliegt den Sprechfunk-Regeln des BZF 1 (beschränkt gültiges Sprechfunkzeugnis für den Flugfunkdienst in englischer Sprache)

There was recent rain this morning in the vicinity of Karlsruhe/Baden airfield. Our well trained pilot Quax is on the way to his helicopter (Delta - Hotel Uniform Papa Sierra). He intends to have a short flight over the black forrest and the city of Baden-Baden.

His helicopter is prepared and so he thinks he is. He has received the todays meteorological airodrome report of Karlsruhe/Baden, following:

Met Report ALPHA from Karlsruhe/Baden

METAR EDSB TIME 0750Z 06007KT 9999 -RA FEW013 SCT032 BKN057 13/M01 Q1013 RERA TEMPO FG=

After Quax has checked all his instruments including the altimeter, on which he has set the "QNH or QFE" (???), he starts up the engines. From now on, we could listen to the following communication on the ground and tower frequencies?

Quax:           BADEN GROUND, D-HUPS, good morning

Ground:        D-HUPS, GROUND, good morning, go ahead

Quax:           D-HUPS, Quax's helicopter, parking position is Apron 3, VFR flight in the vicinity, information ALPHA received, departure via ECHO, request air-taxi

Ground:        D-PS, ALPHA correct, air-taxi via taxiways Z, N, hold short intersection G, give way to taxiing airbus from left to right, cross behind, caution jet-blast, when clear of traffic continue taxiing via D to holding-point runway 03, when ready contact TOWER 125.875

Quax:           D-PS,   …  äääh  …   please … ääääh … say again all after good morning

Two minutes later after a correct readback by Quax and after he has found the holding-point

Quax:            BADEN TOWER, D-HUPS, good morning, holding-point RWY 03, ready for departure

Tower:          D-HUPS, BADEN TOWER, good morning, leave via ECHO, wind 060 degrees 7 knots, right turn approved, RWY 03 cleared for take-off

Quax:            D-HUPS, cleared for take-off RWY 03, right turn to ECHO approved

Quax and the D-HUPS is taking off from Karlsruhe/Baden airfield and is turning right with a heading of 130° to ECHO.

Quax:            D-HUPS, overhead ECHO at 2.100 feet

Tower:          D-PS, approved to leave frequency, have a nice flight

Quax:           D-PS, I will stay on your frequency and maintain listening watch, cause I will just have a short flight in the vicinity

Tower:          D-PS, copied, so disregard the last call, report next the termination of your flight

Quax:            Wilco

The weather is becoming better and Quax is enjoying his flight. 38 minutes later he intends to come back to Karlsruhe/Baden airfield for landing. But meanwhile there was fog coming up and the visibility is going bad.

Quax:           Tower, D-PS

Tower:          D-PS, go ahead

Quax:            D-PS, two minutes east of ECHO at 2.300 feet, request to enter via ECHO for landing

Tower:          D-PS, roger, report ECHO

Quax:            D-PS, wilco

Again one minute later:

Quax:            D-PS, approaching ECHO at 1.400 feet

Tower:          D-PS, roger, confirm still in VMC

Quax:            D-PS, affirm

Tower:          D-PS, roger, we have fog at the airfield, so enter CTR SpecialVFR and join right downwind for RWY 03

Quax:            D-PS, entering SpecialVFR and will join right downwind

And again two minutes later, Quax and the D-HUPS were catched by the fog and his BLIP on the Tower RADAR is jumping and tumbeling around and so Quax is calling for help

Quax:            D-HUPS, I am lost, request QDM and DME

Tower:          D-HUPS, roger, can you see the tower beacon

Quax:            D-HUPS, negativ

Tower:          D-HUPS, request present heading

Quax:            D-HUPS, heading 240°

Tower:          D-PS, roger, Relative Bearing 122° at 0,460 DME

Quax:            D-(...krch...)PS(...krch...)copied (...krchhhh...)

… And this was the last call of D-HUPS and Quax. BADEN TOWER was calling again several times but there was no reaction on the frequencies.

Now YOU are in the SAR team (Search & Rescue). It's up to you to find Quax. All you know is his last position when he gets lost. Bring him safely back to EDSB

For this cache you should be informed about the terms METAR, QNH, QFE, QDM, RB and DME and their measurements. For some more information view the charts of EDSB in the annex and/or ask a pilot

The position of the cache is where Quax is lost. The Tower coordinates are:

N   48°  46.     (QFE rounded - sum of METAR cloud heights)

E  008° 05.      (ELEV - sum of METAR temperature information)

You can check the tower-coordinates here:
Du kannst die Tower-Koordinaten hier prüfen:

Lösungsversuche bis 26.05.2011 bei geochecker.com
RICHTIG = 28       FALSCH = 320

Die Position des Caches ist dort, wo Quax verloren ging. Die Tower-Koordinaten sind:

N   48°  46.      (QFE gerundet - Summe der im METAR angegebenen Wolkenhöhen)

E  008° 05.      (ELEV - Summe der im METAR angegebenen Temperaturangaben)

Some helpful abbreviations / einige hilfreiche Abkürzungen

EDSB
ELEV
RWY
VFR
VMC
CTR
hPa
DME
NM
kt
ft

official ICAO identification of Karlsruhe/Baden aerodrome
Elevation
Runway
Visual Flight Rules
Visual Meteorological Conditions
Control Zone / controlled airspace
Hectopascal (Gradient 27 ft/hPa)
Distance Measuring Equipment = Distance over ground !!! (No "Pythagoras")
Nautical Miles
Knots = NM/h
feet (1 foot = 0,3048 m)

Happy Hunting