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Ditching accidents, life rafts, jackets and equipment, training and related discussion

I would say a survival suit, possibly a raft also, is a better investment than a course.

A survival suit is absolutely essential, as is a raft. I don’t think anybody suggested a course could substitute them.

Last Edited by terbang at 23 Aug 16:04
EDFM (Mannheim), Germany

I don’t think you need the suit in the summer in the Mediterranean. At the moment the water temp. is 26 degrees in many parts.

I used to do a lot of sailing and have done a sea survival course long before I got a PPL.
It’s one of the best and most interesting things I’ve done and I would recommend everyone do it regardless of whether you intend to fly over water or not.
One little snippet:
Never get into a liferaft unless you are having to step UP into it. (For boats obviously, but it illustrates what a last resort it is).

Forever learning
EGTB

A survival suit is absolutely essential

In that case you will spend your life flying alone, or with passengers who are into “rubber”, which is a rather 1970s thing I am told

I always have a raft on the back seat. It’s a realistic backup.

Never get into a liferaft unless you are having to step UP into it.

I am not sure if there is a typo there. The idea in GA ditching is to activate the life raft outside the cockpit and step straight into it. Not try to get into it from water, which is much harder (unless there is somebody already in it in which case it is fairly easy, except for a “large” person) and many people will not be able to do it at all. With a high wing plane you lose that easier option…

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Those are beach temperatures, for drawing in tourist business. Lots of people book holidays based on this. You won’t find them in the open sea.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I’ve had some survival training going on expedition ships to Antarctica (not in a pool, however). Some takeaways from that are:
- water is a very good conductor of heat. Even in 26C water (not applicable to the Southern Ocean, I hasten to add), your body temp will decay quite rapidly. Don’t forget that if your body below 30C your are about to die.
- wear an immersion suit
- failing that, wear layers of clothes to keep your body temp up (this was one of the many mistakes the guys referenced in another thread about ditching here made)
- cover your head
- make sure your lifevest is properly secured and tight! A properly worn vest will keep your head above water (both literally and figuratively)
- a life raft w/o a ladder is totally useless, in fact may be counterproductive as you will most likely expend valuable energy trying – and failing – to get into it (all life raft we carried had ladders, obviously)
- if you are with others, tie yourselves together and huddle – again, prevent/minimize loss of temp
- keep talking to each other
- have flares, PLB, mirror on you

Last Edited by 172driver at 23 Aug 18:57

@stickandrudderman
As a sailor, what do you think about water temps in the Mediterranean? These are todays temps, measured by IR. Open waters partly warmer than at beach.


Last Edited by Flyer59 at 23 Aug 19:41

a life raft w/o a ladder is totally useless

I agree with all you say 172driver but the above is definitely not the case. If it was, the popular Survival Products would be totally useless. Actually I know a TB20 pilot who ditched off Malta (posted here previously) and got only his feet wet, with the same SP raft I have.

What I would definitely say is that if you find yourself in the water, trying to get into the raft, you have a big job. If you lose grip of the raft’s line then only an olympic swimmer will catch it if there is any wind. But even then it is hard to get in. There are 2 methods I know of and neither is easy.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Makes a point for low wing aircraft, where at least potentially there is a chance of getting in straight from the wing.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany
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