I think there's some blurring of the subject/topic happening here.
I'm sure we all agree that search & rescue is a important and necessary thing.
It has nothing to do with "who" you are or if you are wealthy.

I do think that the wealthy would be able to pull in more resources though connections, than the avg person, for a longer search time.

It can get confusing to discuss because often so many various agencies are working together private, volunteers, local government & even military.

What if we remove the pilot/aviation scenario from the topic and talk about "all" types of S & R- and if any billing should be done?


I'll just say that if I was a multimillionaire and was found alive & rescued - I would for sure pay or donate something...
and if I was not found or found deceased I would hope my family would do the same. That's just how I feel about it.