Captain’s Log
Sunday, November 6, 2016

​

As the night grew longer my optimism slowly converted into anxiety. The Gibas III has still not transmitted its landing coordinates. I woke up several times throughout the night to check the GPS connection, but the same message that haunted me before the search for the Gibas II appeared on the screen. However, this time, the connection was not re-established at all.
 

My recovery crew has been incredibly supportive and optimistic. First Officer Berry and I have analyzed the direction of the craft, and in hopes that it has not travelled far we will set off to search the neighboring counties with the help of Officer Madison Hager. We have mapped out an area that we will survey by car, covering as many country roads as we can with open eyes and open ears. The audio beacon could be our only hope of returning with the Gibas III.

​

Supplemental

​

After five hours of circling and zigzagging across country roads, the sun was beginning to set. Although we had neither seen nor heard the Gibas III, we were forced to return to ground control. We had spent much of the drive in silence, listening carefully for the piercing cry of the crafts beacon. The colorful array of autumn leaves only impaired our search, causing false alarms of sightings of the bright orange parachute attached to the craft.
 

Despite these hardships and shortcomings, the crew and I remain optimistic in our search. We plan to expand our search parameters and continue surveying the surrounding areas. With the beacon in place and active for several more days, it is still possible that the craft could be discovered and returned to us. There is an unusual calm in the crew as we retire our efforts for the day. We share the feeling that we have not seen the last of the Gibas III.