Egress Training www.dunkyou.com

Family of Flyers

Recently I Egress Trained a group of Aviation enthusiasts in a back yard pool hosted by Rob Dimitrieff of the St. Catharines Flying Club located at Niagara on the Lake. Amongst the group of students was Victoria Proctor accompanied by Mom Lise who are both float fliers.It turns she is from a long history of aviators dating back to WW 1 where Great Granda was an observer in the RAF.

Victoria’s Grandpa learned to fly Harvards in 1948 also with the RAF, Dad is an Air Canada A320 Captain and Mom learned to fly at Buttonville at the age of 18 in a Piper Cherokee, her father also owns a Cessna 172 on floats and is an avid fisherman.

Now Victoria in this family of Flyers is finishing her fourth and final year at Seneca College stating she was hooked on aviation right after her first landing on Twelve Mile lake under Dad’s instruction for her float endorsement.

Her next step in life is to get after her instrument and instructors licence’s so my guess would be to further the family history with one of the Major airlines.

Soon after returning home from Ontario I opened an email from Victoria which follows as:

The best thing I did this past summer happened by chance. I was reading the second edition of Transport Canada’s Aviation Safety Letter 2011, when something popped out at me; “Underwater Egress Testimonials…”. I vaguely recalled Doctor Magee hassling me to go to the Ex for the airshow, and try out their water egress simulator. As he explained to a horrified sixteen year old (me) that I’d be better off knowing how to get out of a submerged, inverted aircraft, I shivered and swore that I’d never impart that kind of terror on myself.

When I read about egress training this time, it was an article by Bryan Webster, the founder of Aviation Egress Systems. The article describes his own experiences from being in aviation accidents that lead him to creating this company that trains pilots and passengers to survive a water crash. As I read this article, I slowly started to think about how important it is to always be prepared for the worst. It soon became clear that I needed to take this course.

After contacting Bryan, signing up for the course and coercing my float pilot mother to join me, we were off to Niagara Falls! The day was separated into two parts: ground school in the morning, and egress simulations in the afternoon. Ground school consisted partly of us watching videos of what could happen, and the reasons why it happened. We discussed numerous things, including non-water emergencies, seatbelt etiquette, cockpit layout, different aircraft designs regarding evacuation, and equipment that should be carried. It was made clear that we cannot be trained to flawlessly handle every emergency but that it is extremely important to be prepared.

In the afternoon came the fun part. We learned how to use those inflatable lifejackets you see in airline videos (not as easy as those models make it look!), how to get into and pull someone else into a life raft, and other things to consider when floating around waiting to be rescued. We were slowly eased into the actual escaping part of the day; we started with simple things like opening windows and getting through them in the water, and then progressed to the cockpit simulator. Some of us began escaping from an upright simulator and later progressed to the more realistic “flip”, whereas others dove right in. I will not tell you that it wasn’t intimidating but after a few times, it was easier.

And after a few MORE times, it was fun! The course was great because it went at the pace of the learner, and therefore every single person confronted their fears and went in for the dunk.

It should also be mentioned that out of over 5,000 people that have graduated from this course, five have gotten into ditching accidents. Every one of those five came back to tell their escape tale.

As new pilots, we should take every bit of safety and emergency training we can get (while we wait for experience to kick in). I highly recommend this course to everyone, especially pilots and passengers that fly over water. For more information on Aviation Egress Systems, visit www.dunkyou.com.

Victoria it was my pleasure to Egress Train both you and your Mom, here’s wishing you all the best for your future which no doubt will be exciting and rewarding.

Bryan Webster is your BC and Yukon COPA director and has been also flying from the early age of 16. He now has over 11.500 hours in multiple aircraft and teaches pilots plus their passengers how to safely Egress from aircraft all over Canada.

For further information contact Bry The Dunker Guy at 250-704-6401.

PRISCILLA’S STORY

Last fall as you may have heard there was a very bad accident on the BC Coast between Vancouver and Victoria while departing from the Gulf Islands.This event has effected people not only in aviation but all who fly as passengers and will eventually change many safety related areas of aviation.Here is a story sent to me which I feel you may benefit from reading.

Dear Bryan

I have been a frequent floatplane passenger. While living on Bainbridge Island west of Seattle, I worked on a project which required me to travel by floatplane from Seattle to the San Juan Islands weekly for about 5 years. I flew mostly on De Havilland Beavers and Otters.

I have always been hyperaware when I fly on any aircraft and I have always been concerned with the door operation on both Beavers and Otters. The small recessed rotating handles are not easy to operate in the best of conditions. In Beavers, the location of the handles on the back doors makes the doors particularly difficult to open.

I now live on Saturna Island BC. Last fall I flew from Seattle to Victoria by floatplane the same day a floatplane went down off of Saturna Island. I arrived on Saturna by boat at the same dock that a floatplane left from about half an hour before and went down shortly after take off. The plane ditched just south of our home and I helped neighbours search for survivors.

Needless to say this terrible accident has affected me deeply. I am desperate for something good to come from this tragedy.

After this accident I contacted a friend who is a commercial floatplane pilot and he suggested that I take the Aviation Egress class that you teach. I came to the class prepared with both a strong desire to learn how to survive a floatplane ditching and also a strong desire to help make floatplane aviation safer.

Your class was excellent and you answered all of my questions. In fact, your class was a real eye-opener. It covered all aspects of floatplane ditching and egress, both in the classroom and in the pool. This experience showed me how tough it is to get out of an inverted aircraft in the water in the best of conditions. You made the class enjoyable and your knowledge, expertise and passion for making flying safer are truly inspiring.

I would recommend your class to everyone who flies over water. In fact, your class caused me to look at how to get out of a submerged motor vehicle in a whole new way.

I continue to follow and applaud the efforts of those who strive to make floatplane travel safer. Better door and window designs and emergency egress operation need to be implemented industry-wide as soon as possible. Better access to life vests after ditching needs to be addressed now as well. Implementing better safety briefing by pilots and in the seat back pockets can help save lives too. Additional safety features could also be implemented over time.

I thank you for all that you do in helping to make the industry safer and I look forward to taking your class again.

Sincerely

Priscilla

Thanks Priscilla and I agree with your outlook on how changes need to be made, although it is sad that accidents and loss of life have to be the catalyst.The Beaver door mechanisms and location have long been know as inadequate, and I personally am working on having that improved. I have found the engineering teams who work on these projects are unfortunately not well versed in the understanding of how mechanisms need to be designed for underwater applications.Once testing is complete I believe this situation will be resolved, and in conjunction with the latest push out escape window now available for the De Havilland Beaver they will be an awesome combination.As for life vests there has been a huge controversy as to wear or not to wear them on float aircraft.

Given todays technology I would suggest we put our industry wide heads together and figure out a better way than involving marine application life vests in the first place, as above and beyond the standard T/C C13 you would find under the seat.

Bryan Webster has a history of over 30 years with float and light aircraft in general which started with a high speed impact in the water as a passenger in 1977.

In 1998 he opened Aviation Egress Systems offering a one day program all over Canada to assist all who fly and could possibly end up inverted unexpectedly.

For further information contact:

Bry The Dunker Guy

250-704-6401

www.dunkyou.com

info@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

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL

Summer has arrived for most us aviation enthusiasts all over Canada meaning that powerful itch to get back into our trusty Flying Machine has again taken priority over life’s daily routine.

Considering that many of us own aircraft which have been subjected to harsh winter weather and winds while tied down outdoors a through walk around is mandatory. On our arrival at our favourite airfield we may want to fire up and immediately take to the skies in spite of the fact that the only thing rustier than the pilot is the aircraft which could create a lethal combination. With the C of A still enforce until summer we are well with in our legal rights to avoid all the worry about anything going wrong and simply jump in to satisfying the need for speed and altitude.

My first advice is directed towards nose wheeled aircraft which sit outdoors for long periods of time and where condensation in fuel tanks could be a factor.

Once airborne we pull back on the stick leaving that water or contaminant in the fuel tanks to move rearward as the nose rises on climb out, of course at the worst time to be faced with and engine failure as the supply fuel lines are right there.

Solution- During your walk around have a helper hold the tail to the ground and then do your wing fuel sump fuel check confirming the tanks are truly free of water.

This pre- climb attitude simulation could save you from an emergency at the worst possible moment, especially when your not at the top of your game.

While completing your walk around look for any outdoor related damage which could prevent controls from free motion, then do the actual complete check of all six elevator/aileron movements.

Go inside rear compartments and confirm rodents and other creatures have not been living rent free all winter causing grief to wiring, and making cozy homes near control cables and related mechanisms.

While you are back there why not check the ELT for being in the armed position and maybe even test it between on the hour and 5 minutes after.

Now that you are satisfied there is air in the tires oil in the engine and fuel in the tanks no bird nests hiding under the cowl, maybe flip through the POH and brief yourself on emergency procedures.

After a longer than normal warm up to prepare the engine for what is about to come, away we go off into the wild blue yonder with as sense of professionalism knowing the aircraft is well prepared and our minds are in the cock pit remembering where switches are and what they do.

To pass on in flight tips I would like to describe what an old Alaskan Bush pilot told me back in the late 1970s when I was starting out my career at Dawson City Yukon.

He said to me, son flying is a wonderful experience great way to make a living and the quickest way to kill yourself if you let your guard down.

Think of it as what I call the Triangle of Terror he said, you can load 2 of the corners on any trip with what ever you want which could be poor weather less than adequate fuel or an aircraft you’re not totally comfortable with mechanically.

The problems start when you knowing load the 3^rd corner and then find your self low on fuel in bad weather and PPNR (Past the Point of No Return) as night is setting in.

In a lot of cases fatigue or stress is already embedded in one of the corners before you start the flight after possibly a long day in the office or after a heavy work week at Joe Blows Air Service or your office which finances the ability to fly.

Just something for you to think about and something I have managed to live by for over 30 years, and now I am that old Guy I met so many years back passing it on to you and totally understand what it was he was talking about.

Fly Safe Always

Bry the Dunker Guy

Bryan Webster own and operates Aviation Egress Systems teaching pilots and passengers all over Canada how to survive a Ditching as he did as passenger in 1977.

Bryan has over 11.000 Hrs in 35 different aircraft still today flies a De Havilland Beaver commercially on the BC coast when time permits.

For further information check out www.dunkyou.com or contact Bryan at 250-704-6401

Martin Hale from Whitefish Montana USA writes-

I started flying with a private license (SEL) in 1980, and then two years later received a float rating which was one of my life’s biggest thrills. Today I fly my Cessna 180 modified with a 0-520 and three bladed propeller on strait floats.

My flight time exceeds 5000 hours with the majority being on those floats that have taken me to places all over North America few people get to see, including Alaska for up to five times annually.

Even with all that past experience I am a long way from knowing it all as flying has numerous challenges and no one person could live long enough to be caught in every scenario.

That is what brought me to Bryan Webster’s Aviation Egress Systems pilot and passenger ditching school.

I had no idea what the program was all about, but was keen to learn whatever is offered which will improve my piloting or overall survival skills. The ground school was a real eye opener as everything that was discussed dealt with real life situations that have happened to aviators similar to me.

One quickly realizes how important Egress training could be the first time you are rolled upside down and become totally disorientated and unable to find the door handles inside their ditching simulators.

I absolutely had no idea of the challenges that present themselves in Egressing a flipped over aircraft, or the speed at which they occur. The AES program makes the pilot think of things like different kinds of passengers that are transported in aircraft whether on wheels or floats, and what could happen if one ends up inverted in a lake or river.

Example: What about passengers who are non-swimmers, large or elderly not to mention children who rely totally on us for advice and leadership especially under the stress of an accident.

We were taught first hand how dangerous a boater’s style life vest or jacket could be inside an aircraft under water in the simulators, and why inflatable PFD’S were invented for aircraft originally.

You will learn about the options available for life vests and why pilots and passengers should be wearing inflatable units, as even when ready in a warm swimming pool most of us left them behind in the rush to get out.

I have tried to talk many of my aviation buddies to take the time and attend this course with a variety of responses.

One pilot said, “Oh I will just be careful and not take chances”. Others were concerned about performing poorly in front of their friends, or were uncomfortable in water.

A person should put the concerns out of his/her mind and sign up soon, especially if are apprehensive as this is all the more reason to attend. Plan to use this opportunity to learn and practice these skills in a safe controlled environment where if you do poorly there are chances to repeat the procedure and get it right the next time.

A floatplane pilot is no more than a log in the water, rogue wave or sudden gust of wind away from a possible upset and one must be prepared for such an event.

I have now taken this course twice, as I realized after my first session that my wife who flies with me on a regular basis should also be proficient in Egressing a ditching as I could be incapacitated during a real incident.

I strongly believe in the Egress training provided, and tell all other pilots you cannot appreciate the benefits until you complete the course.

The one group of pilots who does understand why this is so important are our military folks who have long understood the dangers and repeated this training annually for years as it is mandatory for them.

Just like practicing engine failures and stalls this should be included in any pilot’s emergency training program.

Signed Martin Hale.

Bryan Webster is an 11,000 hour pilot actively flying on the BC Coast today. In 1977 he was a passenger involved in a water crash while the pilot attempted to avoid power lines draped over the Fraser River east of Vancouver.

For questions or to enrol in the Aviation Egress Ditch Training program contact

“BRY THE DUNKER GUY” 1-877-GO-DITCH www.dunkyou.com.

Martin Hale from Whitefish Montana USA writes-

I started flying with a private license (SEL) in 1980, and then two years later received a float rating which was one of my life’s biggest thrills. Today I fly my Cessna 180 modified with a 0-520 and three bladed propeller on strait floats.

My flight time exceeds 5000 hours with the majority being on those floats that have taken me to places all over North America few people get to see, including Alaska for up to five times annually.

Even with all that past experience I am a long way from knowing it all as flying has numerous challenges and no one person could live long enough to be caught in every scenario.

That is what brought me to Bryan Webster’s Aviation Egress Systems pilot and passenger ditching school.

I had no idea what the program was all about, but was keen to learn whatever is offered which will improve my piloting or overall survival skills. The ground school was a real eye opener as everything that was discussed dealt with real life situations that have happened to aviators similar to me.

One quickly realizes how important Egress training could be the first time you are rolled upside down and become totally disorientated and unable to find the door handles inside their ditching simulators.

I absolutely had no idea of the challenges that present themselves in Egressing a flipped over aircraft, or the speed at which they occur. The AES program makes the pilot think of things like different kinds of passengers that are transported in aircraft whether on wheels or floats, and what could happen if one ends up inverted in a lake or river.

Example: What about passengers who are non-swimmers, large or elderly not to mention children who rely totally on us for advice and leadership especially under the stress of an accident.

We were taught first hand how dangerous a boater’s style life vest or jacket could be inside an aircraft under water in the simulators, and why inflatable PFD’S were invented for aircraft originally.

You will learn about the options available for life vests and why pilots and passengers should be wearing inflatable units, as even when ready in a warm swimming pool most of us left them behind in the rush to get out.

I have tried to talk many of my aviation buddies to take the time and attend this course with a variety of responses.

One pilot said, “Oh I will just be careful and not take chances”. Others were concerned about performing poorly in front of their friends, or were uncomfortable in water.

A person should put the concerns out of his/her mind and sign up soon, especially if are apprehensive as this is all the more reason to attend. Plan to use this opportunity to learn and practice these skills in a safe controlled environment where if you do poorly there are chances to repeat the procedure and get it right the next time.

A floatplane pilot is no more than a log in the water, rogue wave or sudden gust of wind away from a possible upset and one must be prepared for such an event.

I have now taken this course twice, as I realized after my first session that my wife who flies with me on a regular basis should also be proficient in Egressing a ditching as I could be incapacitated during a real incident.

I strongly believe in the Egress training provided, and tell all other pilots you cannot appreciate the benefits until you complete the course.

The one group of pilots who does understand why this is so important are our military folks who have long understood the dangers and repeated this training annually for years as it is mandatory for them.

Just like practicing engine failures and stalls this should be included in any pilot’s emergency training program.

Signed Martin Hale.

Bryan Webster is an 11,000 hour pilot actively flying on the BC Coast today. In 1977 he was a passenger involved in a water crash while the pilot attempted to avoid power lines draped over the Fraser River east of Vancouver.

For questions or to enrol in the Aviation Egress Ditch Training program contact

“BRY THE DUNKER GUY” 1-877-GO-DITCH www.dunkyou.com.