Description of Searchers and Search Pattern.
The particular helicopters used in this experiment were Bell Helicopters Type HH-1H (Iroquois), widely known as "Hueys", crewed by members of Detachment 1, 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, United States Air Force, stationed at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona. (See figure 3). [The primary mission of Det. 1 37th A.R.R.S. is to provide helicopter support for the 390th Strategic Missile Wing (SAC) located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. This Detachment is equipped and trained for air search and rescue and provides SAR support for military and civilian agencies within approximately a 100 mile radius of Tucson, Arizona.]

A typical crew consisted of a pilot (who devoted his full attention to flying and maintaining the search pattern) and a copilot together with from two to four scanners. The scanners were located midway on each side of the aircraft and would scan at right angles to its flight path, through large open cargo doors. Under extreme adverse weather conditions these doors might be closed. (See figure 3).

Typically a single helicopter would arrive in the test area where the search manager would advise the pilot of the search boundaries. The helicopter would then commence a "creeping line search" (i.e. the helicopter would fly a non-overlapping back and forth pattern moving deeper into the search area with each successive leg until the entire six square miles had been scanned once - called a "single pass"), see figure 5. The speed, altitude, and spacing between the creeping lines were decided on by each helicopter crew. (The average speed was about 60 knots, the altitude 175 feet, and the track spacing 1/4 mile).

The crew were not advised of the number of victims in the search area, nor were they advised whether to expect the victims to be in the open, under cover, attracting attention, or simulating unconsciousness.