Life Raft Training

[Artificial Horizon]

So now I have finally been offered a job and a type rating course. In the first week of the course we are doing life-raft training, what exactly does this entail? Any experiences would be appreciated.

[xyz_pilot]

A visit to the local pool is the normal drill.

If you have been a very good boy and worked extra hard in ground school your visit to the pool may be a joint one with a class of new cabin crew!!!

[Earthmover]

And you will have the benefit of being qualified to ditch your aircraft in the deep end of a Local Authority swimming pool.

[FJJP]

:D

I seem to remember one of many occasions in the Channel, bobbing up and down in a single/multi seat raft and waiting for the big yellow budgie to arrive, watching a v. big raft with BA crew inside - well, half inside and half hanging over the side, displaying a beautiful shade of green!

:D

[Lou Scannon]

These sessions are usually run by very enthusiastic "Round my yellow jumper run" fitness jerks who believe that doing a few practice lengths of the pool first will be of great benefit for when you ditch in the North Atlantic.

The secret is, when these chaps drop the dinghy into the pool and inflate it, slip quietly aboard without anyone noticing. Eventually you will be joined by the rest of the course usually dripping wet and exhausted, at which point you can complain bitterly about their lack of consideration.

Another good ploy is when the girls wear old hostie uniforms for the drill, a couple of smart young pilots can slip the spares on and follow the chattering and dripping females into their changing room.

We only got caught out because my mate had a beard.:O

[Mr Magoo]

Hi AH well done on the job DD et all still insist they're not recruiting!

My swimming ability's about the same as a housebrick - does anyone know what this 25 Metre lark's about - if you have to swim that without an inflated lifejacket I'm sunk (literally).

[ComJam]

Mine was a laugh. The company use the local North Sea Oil Rig training place. So we get to use the helicopter dunker! :)

Don't know if it's supposed to be "character building" but I nearly sh*t myself when they dropped it in from 20 feet with the lights out and the wave machine on!!

[RatherBeFlying]

A wetsuit worn under the uniform will do wonders for comfort -- and attract accusations of cheating in the changeroom ;)

[Gaza]

Did a similar course at Glasgow Nautical College a few weeks ago. Spend a morning on theory and watching videos on survival techniques. Afternoon was spent in the pool doing various liferaft drills such as getting in, helping injured/unconcious others in and righting an inverted raft. It was good fun but I was knackered by the end of the session!

[Honest Fr@nk]

You'll be pleased to know that "wet drills" need only be done once in your lifetime(at the moment) and are transferable to your next employers. You may be asked to provide the certification from your previous employer.

[boeingbus2002]

Can anyone confirm what the official requirements are for the qualification? (i.e. with lifejackets or without?!)

[Hansard]

Like Boeingbus2002, I too would like more info on this. I can barely go near water, never mind swim 25 metres or whatever.

[homesick rae]

Had a wet drill type thing in Bordeaux where we lept into the pool from a diving board and had to swim to the raft, do the three count bounce etc etc

It was a wonderfully sunny day and it took hours for a dozen of us to get through it...

What the instructors took ages to realise is that we had a beautiful view from the diving board of some lovely french ladies sunbathing....topless!

A life raft would have been useless at this point!:ok: :ooh:

[Kerosene Kraut]

Does anybody remember the last successful ditching? (fixed wing, commercial ops)
Aside from the Stratoliner and some Nimrod I can't recall anything for years.

[Mr Magoo]

Nice war stories but still no definitive answer for all us living housebricks with frozen ATPL's and no swimming ability! - what a bummer if you get offered a nice jet job then drown during the wet drills! D'oh!

[P1 Forever]

Yeah... I am also interested to know whether you have to swim the 25m without a lifevest to pass the life raft training...can anyone out there confirm this.

[Anthony Carn]

Ask the CAA what it all entails and then come back here and tell everyone !

I did mine years ago - nah nah nahnah nah :p - There was a point at which we were told to remove jackets, whilst in the pool, and swap with another "bather", to which I said "No thank you" or alternative words to that effect. The drills may have changed since, though. Female cabin crew in wet uniforms is a definite bonus. :E As was dragging the Fleet Manager into the dinghy by grabbing a chunk of skin - he did'nt half squeal ! :E :E :E

I've learnt how not to drown since then ("learnt how to swim" is going a bit far). I recommend it !