Egress Training www.dunkyou.com

Bry The Dunker Guy Needs You!

In an effort to bring you the most interesting and relevant aviation related safety material I need your help.

Dating back to September 2004 I have religiously sat each month at my computer and written articles pertaining to aircraft safety for you the COPA reader. As I have been flying aircraft privately and commercially since 1978 trust me I have been personally involved with or witness to other pilots unfortunate mistakes on numerous occasions. The basis for these articles are meant to bring understanding to why we should as pilots educate ourselves beyond regulations and think of ways to not end up in the accidents/incidents section. Alternately what to do if like others we find ourselves and possibly our passengers right where we said that would never happen to me. The possibilities for any potential aircraft accident are boundless due to the fact we involve high speed and unpredictable weather conditions with fuel limitations and human error. Now considering this is all based on an object travelling above planet earth with an inability to stop until back on ground you must agree “Murphy” has places to hide. To balance out that statement aviators must pass numerous exams and testing in order to prove we have mastered the required information and skills to keep all involved safe prior to licencing. Where I am going with this is that I have been discussing these topics for years and know for certain many of you have a story to tell which others could learn from. I have met and Egress Trained hundreds of COPA members over this past decade and am well aware of interesting stories told to me by you which ended in, it was too close for comfort or I will never do that again.These are the stories which I would like you to send me anonymously if desired for our fellow COPA members to learn from saving the same mistakes from being repeated unnecessarily.

As for Egress Training I would like to thank all of you who went above and beyond in attending our programs individually or with your families which we offered Canada wide since 1998.

On that note we at AES have been busy designing and building new equipment in an effort to continue our long standing desire for the best and most comprehensive Egress Training experience possible.

Also Transport Canada has approved AES training courses for your 2 year recency requirements regarding 401.05(2)(c) presently limited to Ontario training locations, meaning when you attend Egress Training you are now re-certified upon completion. We are actively working towards the same AES approval for all other Canadian provinces and trust it should be available to you in the future.

Fly Safe!

Bryan Webster has been active in aviation since being granted his private licence in 1977 and now according to Scott must have near 12.000 Hours in 35 plus different aircraft.

In 1998 he founded Aviation Egress Systems and has now trained 5000 aviators at 52 locations across Canada.

For further information contact Bry the Dunker Guy:

250-704-6401

info@dunkyou.com

www.dunkyou.com

Once again it is time for the subject of Amphibious aircraft be discussed.

Since the design option of being able to lower wheels from floats or gear available for the flying boats pilots have found themselves often with passengers upside down in the water or skidding to a sudden halt on a runway with the wheels safety stowed in their wells.

This month I have received not one but two calls from individuals who were understandably distressed and badly shaken up after actual gear down landings in the water happened to them personally.

The first one a sudden stop followed by traumatic dunking with moments of sheer terror, the second sadly told a story of a young person loosing their life to this simple mistake which happens all to often with deadly consequences.

Then shortly after these calls a video arrived showing the beautiful landing of a De Havilland Turbine Single Otter complete with passengers on water and wheels hanging, then immediately rolling on it’s back. ( Please view my website www.dunkyou.com under videos for the link)

In listening to these people’s story my heart goes out to them as there are so many family and friends touched adversely by an event such as this which after the fact seems so easily to avoid.

Why with our incredible technology does this continue to happen all over the world where ever water and the option of lowering gear is involved?

Often it could be considered complacency and not understanding the consequences or possibly a distraction right before turning final.

In all three of these above mentioned recent cases though it was simply taking off from a paved runway and forgetting to raise the gear prior to a water landing which is specific to a floatplane only surface.

To the best of my knowledge there are presently no after market landing gear position warning devices available which are absolutely fool proof, if there is please feel free to prove me wrong.

The computerized voice stating gear is are often disabled by the crew once they start to preach the word being as they become annoying after the 20^th landing that day.

On more than one occasion during my Egress Training program I have had pilots admit they verbally stated out loud for their pre- landing check water landing gear is down and did just that followed by a very bad experience.

In my personal career I have flown several amphibious aircraft commercially and performed numerous check outs for pilots on their own machines to date without mishap.

I start by explaining what exactly will happen if the gear is mistakenly down and a water landing is performed and vice versa for gear up when lined up for final to a runway surface.

Then be sure there are mirrors available to physically show gear position for the pilot and passengers identifying where the wheels are located prior to any landing plus any indicators on the float tops.

Most importantly there are also dash lights indicating blue for water and the aircraft manufacturers preferred colour for hard surface landings.

I highly suggest using a check list and ensuring the water landing option being on blue paper thus the pilot instinctively selects the proper gear position shortly before entering the landing phase of the flight.

Is there a better answer for solving this problem everyone agree’s on to be assured you are doing the right thing when you will be 100% correct or 100% wrong , if there is again let us all know.

I have written similar stories regarding amphibious aircraft in past COPA issues far back as May 2005 and yet this continues to take place with predictable results so lets put our heads together and figure this one out before it happens again.

Bryan Webster has accrued over 11.500 hours in over 35 different aircraft types.

He is also the CEO of Aviation Egress Systems training pilots and their passengers since 1998 how to safely handle aircraft in water emergencies all over Canada.

NOTE: Terry Wilshire our present BC & Yukon COPA director who has held this position with great success is sadly stepping down for medical reasons.

To help carry on his passion for freedom of flight Bryan Webster will be seeking your vote for the BC & Yukon COPA director position.

Please view my Bio in your next COPA edition.

For further information contact:

Bry The Dunker Guy

250-704-6401

www.dunkyou.com

info@dunkyou.com