One day last week I went to the Fitchburg Airport (see above
coordinates) and made arrangements to go skydiving. At some point
in our flight I lost a small container which held materials for a
cache I was going to place. It was small enough to be friction free
but I am not sure where it landed. Any assistance in finding it
would be most appreciated.
The flight plan from that morning indicates the following:
We left the airport and headed NE on a bearing of 46.384 degrees.
When the plane was directly over the Ground Zero for Pepperell, MA
(N42 40.218 W071 35.592) the pilot turned to a heading of 59.105
degrees. After this course adjustment we flew for one minute and
forty five seconds when the container dropped out of the
plane.
The container itself is a camouflaged (former) peanut butter jar.
Original contents include logbook and two pencils, mini Mr. Potato
Head, tile puzzle, compass, small cow, and a plush toy mouse. The
total weight of the container and contents is approximately one
half pound.
To find the container you will have to retrace my steps EXACTLY
starting in Fitchburg. At the appropriate moment you will exit the
plane and hopefully land somewhere in close proximity to the
cache.
Thanks for your help and good luck!
Edit December 14, 2007:
I have had second thoughts about the “skydiving” approach to
finding the container. First of all you will have to use a
parachute - hitting the ground at 125 mph is not pleasant. Secondly
the parachute (and your size) mean that you will not be friction
free (as the container was) and will probably not land near the
cache after all. Finally you may be (understandably) reluctant to
exit a moving plane from 13,000 feet traveling at 110 mph!
Is there another way?
This web
site will be essential.
Thanks to Dan for letting me borrow and adapt his idea!
Update 1/10/2009 Given the recent ambiguity in finding Ground Zero
coordinates, I have provided the original ones for Pepperell, MA in
the cache description above. Difficulty remains about the
same.