Egress Training www.dunkyou.com

Ditching Myths

In my years as an Egress instructor I have had some interesting questions posed to me, as well a number of misguided piloting types explaining how they would personally handle a ditching.

The reality is there is only seconds to react after a complete inversion, before the overwhelming reaction to being entrapped is unleashed. About that time the animal instinct to survive becomes paramount, demanding you find an air supply immediately.

To have no pre- determined escape plan for you and your passengers complicates an already extremely challenging situation, while the clock rapidly dictates a positive or negative out come.

To have previously experienced a similar event in a warm pool facility should this ever happen to you, proves the results are mirror image for the success rate of those trained verses untrained.

By knowing what to do and expect from previous Egress training, plus having been in water practicing life vest procedures and remembering to take one with you on the way out proves a major advantage.

There are many reasons why people are reluctant to Egress train ranging from fear of water, to claustrophobia or simply not wanting to be seen as incapable of handling the scenario by ones peers.

In Egress Training programs each individual has strengths and weaknesses, thus as a group we foster camaraderie and work with each person to achieve confidence and reach their highest personal potential.

Regarding ditching myths here are a few of my favorites-

Number one and the most common misunderstood plan would be to simply watch your air bubbles once entrapped inverted and proceed to safety.

The problem associated with this idea is the obvious poor visibility at best being under water, and the possibility of silty water conditions or darkness.

Also you are giving up a percentage of the limited air supply held in your lungs which can not be replenished in order that you create this indicator.

To add to the scenario, what if the aircraft is pointing nose down and you find yourself in the rear of the cabin totally disorientated and unable to locate the now illusive door handles behind and below you.

Number two and another favorite is that a calm and collected individual will open the exit and vacate the premises with ease, or failing that kick out a window and swim to safety.

I find most of theses personalities are covering their actual fear of water or participation in training with an arrogant attitude.

Pilots who refuse to entertain even thinking about what should be done in any aircraft emergency are not only endangering themselves, but also anyone they fly with.

Soon after a person as mentioned above is enrolled in Egress Training and actively participating, signs of uncertainty and concerns regarding the program appear.

Once training is completed an admission of previous over all anxiety is replaced with a new found respect and understanding of why Egress training is offered.

Number three being when flying over water climb high enough to reach land should a problem arise, and simply return to a suitable clearing on shore as a glider if necessary.

This is a good plan until you overnight at the opposite end of your journey and Mother Nature swaps CVOK for 500 feet obscured, and now you have to be at work in less than an hour.

About then you are informed by your traveling companions they also have commitments and thus just this once you must break your safety net exercised the day previous.

Number four and my personal favorite for all times was explained to me while trying to sell this new concept Egress program several years ago at an aerobatic flight training center.

The owner and head instructor stated emphatically that his plan, should he be faced with a ditching would be to roll inverted and enter the water with the landing gear pointing skyward. In his mind this flight condition would avoid the anticipated flip caused by wheels making contact with the surface and dragging its nose downward.

Considering this as an alternate procedure to the upright entry you may want to consider an impact at or above 60 mph similar to a convertible automobile with your head exposed. The very fact that most front aircraft windows are constructed of light Plexiglas which will most likely depart on impact, would be enough to deter me.

After researching this misconceived maneuver I was unable to find any information substantiating its merits as no one has ever tried it, which is partly why I would not

want to be the first.

Bryan Webster has flown in excess of 11.000 hours over the past 25 years and is yet today flying commercially in a De Havilland Beaver on the Canadian BC coast.

His past experience was partially responsible for realizing aviation was lacking in pilot Egress training and formed Aviation Egress Systems at Victoria BC in 1989.

Pilots and passengers are now able to train for ditching light aircraft in a one day program at a reasonable cost.

Bryan has also written a book on aviation egress called “Ditching Principles” which is now available on his web-site.

For further information contact Bry “The Dunker Guy” at 250-704-6401 or

check out www.dunkyou.com

Fall is now in the air with a new set of aviation challenges just around the corner.

This past summer Western Canada witnessed the most incredible weather Mother Nature had ever produced on record, which is about time as it was our turn. Aircraft were out in full force all over enjoying warm above average temperatures and few meteorological concerns other than smoke from numerous forest fires. The water temperatures were wonderful and with the exception of one unfortunate individual who ended his flight inverted at high speed underwater with the gear down, the incident rate appeared to me proportionately lower than usual. In the near future how ever wind weather and fog not to mention snow will undoubtedly add possible perils to our daily flight routines and must be considered previous to our departure. An enjoyable swim in our favourite lake during the month of August could be life threatening if clinging to a sunken float plane to far from shore at that identical location only a few months later.

Pilots must consider deviations due to weather problems and low ceiling thus always plan for this event and if at all possible carry more fuel or have alternates on your side to help eliminate running out short of destination. Winter survival courses are advised if your flight are taking place in the far North but if nothing else be certain you and your passengers are well dressed and equipped for an unexpected night out in the wilds.

For this or any unplanned emergency again as in the August COPA issue I would like to highly suggest you seriously consider purchasing and carrying a SPOT portable GPS onboard. Please understand I am no way affiliated with the SPOT Corporation but absolutely sold on its ability to track and locate you, plus send out a signal for assistance if required. This unit is not an ELT replacement and unfortunately was unavailable when the latest ELT update made its way to your aircraft, but one day I hope will be as it has proven to be so successful. When not giving you piece of mind while in flight it could be left in your vehicle as a life line while driving between Winnipeg and Flin Flon at -40 degrees and stuck in a snow bank. Just to give you an idea of how this unit works simply purchase the SPOT GPS for less than a fill up in your 172 compete with monitoring and program your computer so anyone can follow your movements as you travel.

Every 10 minutes a signal is sent leaving your trail on a Google map from most anywhere around the world giving an exact time and location of where you are and have been.

In the event of an emergency you may push one of two buttons sending help from your own responsible person or from any rescue organization you have selected. Since I purchased mine it has been on our son’s sailboat all over the BC Coast, on numerous overnight hikes including the 5 day West Coast trail on Vancouver Island plus flown literally hundreds of flights. In the event I holed a float on landing while jumping from the ocean to lakes in our distant wilderness it would have told of my location where the ELT would have been rendered useless at the bottom with no history as to my movements or present location.

Bryan Webster has accumulated in excess of 11.000 hours in light aircraft all over Canada and the US since 1976 when he learned to fly at Pitt Meadows BC. He still flies commercially today when not teaching Egress procedures to pilots and their passengers.

For further information contact:

Aviation Egress Systems

BRY THE DUNKER GUY

250-704-6401

www.dunkyou.com

info@dunkyou.com