Originally Posted by
AlbaGuBrath
This is possibly a stupid question, from an uneducated flyer.. Rather than using planes, could the SAR teams not deploy a few drones over the area?
Drones are great for various sorts of data collection; some, such as the Northrop-Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk, can endure 28 hours and fly 8,700 miles (e. g. Edwards AFB California to Edinburgh RAFB in Australia, April 2001.) and offer advanced sensors. They have been used for damage surveys after major natural catastrophes, such as typhoons Haiyan (Philippines, 2013), and can survey up to 100,000 square miles during a mission. They do this at generally high altitude - 60,000 ft. and they require dedicated ground support and equipment including a crew of three with control van and data analysis support. 9th RW, BAFB.
RAAF actually considered acquisition but at this point cancelled the option and are getting Boeing P-8 Poseidons for maritime surveillance role missions. The acquisition of the maritime version MQ-4C "Triton" is under consideration.
But the nature of searching and sorting various debris, etc. makes the "Mark I Human Eyeball" (and the brain behind each pair, plus they are aided by top grade optics) very much the best instruments available for this kind of purpose.
The aircraft in use at the moment have the advantages of being piloted by cockpit crew that are trained in the necessary (and sometimes tricky) low level flight techniques required, can respond quickly, and carry marker buoys and flares that can be deployed for ships to find and to mark debris for return passes for observation.
The turboprop P-3 has excellent loiter time, as well (it's just the design is nearly antique, being based on the Lockheed L-188 Electra, first flown in 1957).