Hi colleagues, while looking for adequately efficient and adequately priced emergency flotation devices, I overran the deadline to fly to Iceland this summer, but I continued my study of available options. Besides the standard variants, I discovered two non-traditional solutions.
One is PSN-1, a personal liferaft used by Russian military pilots, weighing only 3.5 kg:
Even though this “floating sarcophagus” looks staggeringly inadequate at first, I was assured by my first instructor, a former reconnaissance pilot, that getting into it and floating in it for many hours is not a problem at all. It is listed in the factory price list at ~€220 new, certified for 5 years. It’s not available through retail channels, but I think I can get one.
Another solution is probably unacceptable officially, but looks like a good backup measure to me: when flying long distances over water, stuff every corner of the aircraft with balloons or bags full of polystyrene packing peanuts. According to my preliminary calculations, on a typical flight it can give my aircraft a positive buoyancy. I have a sliding canopy, so egress should not be a problem if required.
Any opinions?
Some years ago, RAF Lossiemouth were training just offshore my home, in windy conditions with a short choppy sea. I came home in time to see one guy repeatedly get into the one-man liferaft, then capsize or fall out. After many attempts, he stayed in long enough for the helicopter to decide to lift him. As he was hoisted with the winchman, the hoist stopped, lowered them both, and the winchman dropped into the sea. The winch then continued to recover the trainee. A few swim strokes took the winchman to the raft, he immediately got in, and the helicopter flew away, leaving him to drift ashore to the raft recovery party.
The first guy made it look almost impossible – unstable after he got in – and he was presumeably a young, fit, pool-trained serviceman.
The second guy made it look simple to get into, and very stable once in.
There is another option.
A friend has a dry suit that after inflating it can be used as a single person life raft. He also has a hood and something to support the head but I don’t know if this is part of the ‘raft’ or another part.
I just came back from a long flight over water. Before we looked at different rafts and choose a 4 person unit with roof etc. for 2 persons on board the aircraft. With 2 person and some supplies this raft would be filled. In the worst case you have to stay in there a while, access your emergency water and food supply, use the ELT and satphone. I can hardly imagine doing this in anything smaller and without at least some wind protection.
In the end the questions is how long the plane will float and how your chances are to get out the crew and the raft. This depends a lot on the aircraft type. I did some research before on similar incidents with our type to guess how many minutes it will float before it sinks.
when flying long distances over water, stuff every corner of the aircraft with balloons or bags full of polystyrene packing peanuts
For smaller sailing boats this is quite common and they sell small floation bags. But you have to have enough space in the cabin and usually you will also have much baggage, the raft etc. on such a trip and the flotation devices must be balanced. An aircraft which sinks with the cockpit very fast and has got a tail which stay aloft is not so usefull after all.
Some good points on this thread however remember that the major reason aircraft go into the Atlantic according to the guys in Wick is that they run out of fuel. Remember to spend as much time if not more on planning and weather as you do on choosing a life raft.
What I have read is that low wing metal planes, following a successful (no big damage) ditching, float about 1-2 minutes.
The nose goes down sharply and early, due to the engine weight and the cowling filling up immediately.
I can’t see floation bags making any useful difference. Look at the weight of an aircraft and look at the volume of water which would need displacing to support that.
Sounds like something Cirrus could do….in addition to the whole airplane parachute, include whole airplane automatic flotation! Like Northsea helicopters
