Sea Survival Training — Still Taught to RAF Aircrew?
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
"First, it's so bad you think you're going to die- then it dawns that you're not going to die!"
NRU74, wasn't it something like "Has with courage and fortitude undergone the rigours of the course"?
As for the 'Heave-ho', I recall being told that if some antique fishhead relic-of-the-Korean-War Whirlwind turned up and a rope, sorry, a 'sheet' appeared out of the door, it was better to play dead than to risk being hauled up by the matelots...
As for the 'Heave-ho', I recall being told that if some antique fishhead relic-of-the-Korean-War Whirlwind turned up and a rope, sorry, a 'sheet' appeared out of the door, it was better to play dead than to risk being hauled up by the matelots...
Last edited by BEagle; 21st Mar 2016 at 21:34.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
For one dinghy drill in the mid-50s we were given a pack which, instead of the normal single-seater, had an inflatable Michelin-man suit. You had to get it on, do up the press-studs (pre-velcro), and AFIR blow the thing up by mouth. You floated like a yellow banana and it was fine if you stayed on your back, but if you rolled over it was b****y difficult to get face-up again. I never saw one again and it's all a long time ago hence the question: did these things ever get put into real dinghy packs?
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
"Has with fortitude undergone the rigorous requirements of this school"
On one of my dunks we even had VRT on the course.
After that death immersion suits were only issued for all aircrew if the water was below 4 degrees. Aircrew that routinely used immersion suits would wear them when the water was much warmer.
My third course there was prior to a Cyprus tour so no immersion suits. Our sqn ldr persuaded them to let us wear suits on day 2 "for experience"
Sod' s law, calm sunny day for the single seat drills. We duly jumped in, did the bizz, got everything bailed out, buttoned up, inflated, and then considered job done. Unbuttoned, stretched out and enjoyed the sun.
Unlike JF we were left largely unmolested. We paddled to each other and ended up with all 5 lashed together.
On one of my dunks we even had VRT on the course.
After that death immersion suits were only issued for all aircrew if the water was below 4 degrees. Aircrew that routinely used immersion suits would wear them when the water was much warmer.
My third course there was prior to a Cyprus tour so no immersion suits. Our sqn ldr persuaded them to let us wear suits on day 2 "for experience"
Sod' s law, calm sunny day for the single seat drills. We duly jumped in, did the bizz, got everything bailed out, buttoned up, inflated, and then considered job done. Unbuttoned, stretched out and enjoyed the sun.
Unlike JF we were left largely unmolested. We paddled to each other and ended up with all 5 lashed together.
Have to admit cheating in the immersion suit. Wore much more inside than I'd ever have done for real so ended up floating around feeling quite toasty 
Initially had the impermeable two piece with the rubber waist doughnut and then the zip-up which was alleged to be breathable until wet.
Initially had the impermeable two piece with the rubber waist doughnut and then the zip-up which was alleged to be breathable until wet.
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As a Crew Chief on 55 Squadron in the early seventies we were required, much against our will, to do the sea survival training at Gorleston, Norfolk with 24 Air Sea Rescue Unit.
This entailed parachute lines and dinghy, off the back of the launch and towed at speed before releasing and getting into the dinghy. One of our number had routed the parachute lines such that when he came to release he was dragged sideways through the water and consumed quite a bit of the North Sea. He eventually released and climbed into his dinghy.
The Whirlwind that was picking us up in turn, developed a fault which required it to return to Great Yarmouth for a check and then returned about an hour later. Our hero had by now been bobbing up and down for over an hour and was presumably feeling a touch unwell.
When the winchman got him connected to himself and the lift started, about halfway up our hero was violently sick all over the grizzled crewman. The pilot being informed on what was on the end of the wire, stopped the lift and lowered the pair of them back into the water like a dunking donut. When clean they were recovered into the helicopter.
All subsequent drills were carried out in the swimming pool.
There is a very fitting memorial on the sea front at Gorleston.
Airfield Research Group - ARG Forum - GORLESTON - 24 Air Sea Rescue Unit Memorial (1/1)
This entailed parachute lines and dinghy, off the back of the launch and towed at speed before releasing and getting into the dinghy. One of our number had routed the parachute lines such that when he came to release he was dragged sideways through the water and consumed quite a bit of the North Sea. He eventually released and climbed into his dinghy.
The Whirlwind that was picking us up in turn, developed a fault which required it to return to Great Yarmouth for a check and then returned about an hour later. Our hero had by now been bobbing up and down for over an hour and was presumably feeling a touch unwell.
When the winchman got him connected to himself and the lift started, about halfway up our hero was violently sick all over the grizzled crewman. The pilot being informed on what was on the end of the wire, stopped the lift and lowered the pair of them back into the water like a dunking donut. When clean they were recovered into the helicopter.
All subsequent drills were carried out in the swimming pool.
There is a very fitting memorial on the sea front at Gorleston.
Airfield Research Group - ARG Forum - GORLESTON - 24 Air Sea Rescue Unit Memorial (1/1)
'one size fits all' external immersion suit does not fit you if you are 6'5"
ISTR that, without referring to mission control, he managed to depressurise his suit a bit and made it back.
Sea survival content? Ummm - the vast sea of space
I did this as a VRT way back in 1980. There were about a dozen of us, given a day's instruction then dumped off a crash boat about five miles off the coast. We were given a multi-seat dinghy to play with, and told that, if the chopper went u/s the boat would come back for us.
Despite it being November, the Channel was a veritable mill pond. After about an hour, we heard the boat coming back, and assumed it was for the pick up. Having opened both doors we were sitting in breathless anticipation when the launch went past, doing warp snot.....
It seems that the trusty crew thought we'd had it too easy and wanted to add a little realism, and three feet of water, to the dinghy. An hour after that, the Sea King arrived. I have to say that, as we went up the wire, it's been the only time in my life I was glad to wrap my arms around another bloke.....
I still have the medical certificate I had to get before hand. I should have known something was afoot when I read that I would ' suffer no ill effects if thrown into sea water under RAF supervised conditions'.....
Despite it being November, the Channel was a veritable mill pond. After about an hour, we heard the boat coming back, and assumed it was for the pick up. Having opened both doors we were sitting in breathless anticipation when the launch went past, doing warp snot.....
It seems that the trusty crew thought we'd had it too easy and wanted to add a little realism, and three feet of water, to the dinghy. An hour after that, the Sea King arrived. I have to say that, as we went up the wire, it's been the only time in my life I was glad to wrap my arms around another bloke.....
I still have the medical certificate I had to get before hand. I should have known something was afoot when I read that I would ' suffer no ill effects if thrown into sea water under RAF supervised conditions'.....
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
There was a more enjoyable option for Britannia and VC10 crews. Get the Dinghy Drill tick out of the way at Gan during a Changi slip. The Marine Craft Section was more than happy to help, especially when female LM's were involved!
HUET (the Helicopter Underwater Escape Training) is very much a part of many helicopter operations around the globe, from the North Sea and most offshore locations where crew and pax have to update every couple of years, to fire fighting ops in Australia where helicopter pilots have to complete HUET every two years to meet State agency criteria. That came in after a Helitack ditched during a bucket fill and the pilot was rescued by an onlooker, who just happened to be the Chief Minister for the ACT!
Sea Survival, tho', was something best forgotten when we were taken out in an RAF launch and chucked out into Falmouth Bay to bob around in our one man dinghies awaiting a pickup. If you were lucky in a daytime run the worst was a bucket of water being chucked out at you from the SAR helicopter as you put on the winch strop.
But at night, another story. As the junior pilot on the Sea King IFTU I was the obvious choice to be wet winched at night to check out the procedures; and believe me, relying on the sea-cell light as a primary aid to be found isn't confidence inspiring.
Now a bit of background: the previous winch fits (Wessex, Whirlwind, etc) were all single speed controls so a practiced crewman would pay out an extra 6-10 feet of cable and hold it in a loop, ready to be let go as soon as the tea-bag had hold of the strop. This, along with lowering a bit more cable, was meant to ensure that the strop wouldn't be snatched out of the survivor's hands as the helicopter overshot before making a stable hover.
Enter the Sea King with a variable speed, fast winch control. Enter junior pilot grabbing the strop, crewie dropping 10ft of cable plus fast lowering of more cable, most of which finished up well underneath the dinghy. Having been drowned in the downwash of a Sea King in a 30ft hover ('cos that's what we did in the Wessex) I had no idea where the cable was and simply gave a thumbs up when in the strop, which was then raised: except it went under the dinghy, three times around me and pulled me down before up!
Procedures modified the next day (that's what IFTU is for, after all) and the hover raised to 40ft plus no more bights of cable by the crewman
Sea Survival, tho', was something best forgotten when we were taken out in an RAF launch and chucked out into Falmouth Bay to bob around in our one man dinghies awaiting a pickup. If you were lucky in a daytime run the worst was a bucket of water being chucked out at you from the SAR helicopter as you put on the winch strop.
But at night, another story. As the junior pilot on the Sea King IFTU I was the obvious choice to be wet winched at night to check out the procedures; and believe me, relying on the sea-cell light as a primary aid to be found isn't confidence inspiring.
Now a bit of background: the previous winch fits (Wessex, Whirlwind, etc) were all single speed controls so a practiced crewman would pay out an extra 6-10 feet of cable and hold it in a loop, ready to be let go as soon as the tea-bag had hold of the strop. This, along with lowering a bit more cable, was meant to ensure that the strop wouldn't be snatched out of the survivor's hands as the helicopter overshot before making a stable hover.
Enter the Sea King with a variable speed, fast winch control. Enter junior pilot grabbing the strop, crewie dropping 10ft of cable plus fast lowering of more cable, most of which finished up well underneath the dinghy. Having been drowned in the downwash of a Sea King in a 30ft hover ('cos that's what we did in the Wessex) I had no idea where the cable was and simply gave a thumbs up when in the strop, which was then raised: except it went under the dinghy, three times around me and pulled me down before up!
Procedures modified the next day (that's what IFTU is for, after all) and the hover raised to 40ft plus no more bights of cable by the crewman
TTN was less lucky than myself at Kai Tak. I actually helped teach drills to Cathay Pacific aircrew and hence was involved when we took them to sea for the day. After the serious business was concluded, the ladies remained in the sun in their swimsuits and we had a jolly good lunch in the boats courtesy of CPA.
I also played the 'mad passenger' during the evacuation drills. This was done when a Convair 880 was due a deep maintenance at HKAECO and hence all the slides etc had to be removed and 'pulled'. I had to sit waiting and then suddenly jump up and rush about shouting and when I got to the door had to try to push back inside and be a general nuisance - not hard you might say!
At Mountbatten in May 1966 I was on the sea survival course when Master Pilot Howarth died in the water. Lots of shortcomings identified after that. The best bit about the single seat drills was that the dinghy pack for those on rotary wing aircraft was worn as a backpack and with a bit of practice, it could be unclipped and brought round to the chest almost before one had hit the water - I never did get it to 'pop' the right way up though.
Old Duffer
I also played the 'mad passenger' during the evacuation drills. This was done when a Convair 880 was due a deep maintenance at HKAECO and hence all the slides etc had to be removed and 'pulled'. I had to sit waiting and then suddenly jump up and rush about shouting and when I got to the door had to try to push back inside and be a general nuisance - not hard you might say!
At Mountbatten in May 1966 I was on the sea survival course when Master Pilot Howarth died in the water. Lots of shortcomings identified after that. The best bit about the single seat drills was that the dinghy pack for those on rotary wing aircraft was worn as a backpack and with a bit of practice, it could be unclipped and brought round to the chest almost before one had hit the water - I never did get it to 'pop' the right way up though.
Old Duffer
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
On drills though, I read the leaflet on Civair on ditching and life raft. It would seem the approved drill is exit aircraft, enter water and hold on to the escape slide. When you, and 40 others are all holding on, raft released and off you float singing Underneath the Chestnut Tree as one by one you succumb to hypothermia.
No dinghies and no canopy so a realistic assumption that no one would survive a ditching and if you did you probably wouldn't survive too be rescued.
http://travel.stackexchange.com/ques...afts-on-planes
No dinghies and no canopy so a realistic assumption that no one would survive a ditching and if you did you probably wouldn't survive too be rescued.
http://travel.stackexchange.com/ques...afts-on-planes
I did one drill at Mountbatten during the second week of January 1982. It was the start of my Shack AEW Course. The crew that included the new Sqn Boss flew from Inverness to Heathrow and then should have flown to Plymouth. However, the weather was so bad that flights into Plymouth were cancelled. We were then put on the night train down to blizzard hit Devon. Got off the train and straight into the classroom. That night Plymouth got completely cut off due to the severe snowstorms. We were all convinced that there was no way we would do the practical. We maintained that optimism all the way to the launch which we then loaded and set sail. It was so cold on the launch that one of the crew (pilot) went down with hypothermia. We reached the drop off point and those of us that had opted for single seat dinghy did the drag behind boat thing and then into dinghy. And what a surprise as it was much warmer in the water and then the dinghy than on the launch. Those that chose multi seat did not fair so well. Firstly, the new Sqn Boss elected himself to right the dinghy and promptly got stuck underneath. And then half succumbed to the mal de mare. They also spent longer in the dinghy than those of us in the singles. We all deserved the certificates after that.
When I was on 204 at Ballykelly in May '67 we did a dinghy drill from Portrush, The AEO (GB) junped from the Pinnace into the dinghy, but the rest of us had to swim for it in flying suits. The Atlantic is very cold in May, but we all made it to the dinghy apart from the captain (LR) who was a poor swimmer. The Nav and AEO junped in to help him and as they were soon very cold I also jumped in to help. We then were zoomed past by the pinnace which thought that we were having extra training, and wanted to make the water more disturbed! The dinghy had no rubber ring and line, and no sea anchor, and drifted away faster than we could swim. We were picked up by the pinnace after they had picked the rest of the crew from the dinghy, and were a sad shivering foursome, only stopping shaking after a few whiskies in the pub in Portrush. A big difference from the previous drill which had been from Aden!
Far better to do them at Akronelli than out of Grimsby.
Wasn't a Lightning Sqn declared non op years back when most of them caught conjunctivitis? From then on the boat trip took you out of the Humber up to Hornsea.
I thought pulling in the sea anchor to make sure you were first in the mechanical palm tree was 'CSRO in Confidence'
Wasn't a Lightning Sqn declared non op years back when most of them caught conjunctivitis? From then on the boat trip took you out of the Humber up to Hornsea.
I thought pulling in the sea anchor to make sure you were first in the mechanical palm tree was 'CSRO in Confidence'
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Went to Grimsby twice. Sadly the weather was too foggy so it was cancelled. As I lived at Coningsby when at Finningley I would have spent the whole day driving round Lincolnshire so had no option except take the day off.
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1964 when I was on 511 Sqn. Oddly enough, our Eng also knew every pub from Lyneham to Plymouth. In '68 I was transferred to VC10s and did the Brize to Plymouth run, this time with a 5 litre demijohn full of sloe gin - don't remember that trip....