Forced landing in sea.

[Droopystop]

Those of you who travel over water without a survival suit might like to read the following document......www.hse.gov.uk/research/otopdf/1995/oto95038.pdf.

It relates to the offshore industry, but the really interesting bit is table 5 towards the end.

[tuscan]

Survival suits are as good as the layers of insulation you have under them.When working offshore I always had several layers on, even if it meant sweating buckets in the helicopter and feeling uncomfortable in summer.

I sell lifejackets, both commercial and recreational. Many automatic jackets used for sailing etc can be fitted with a simple device that turns it to manual for flying. It takes seconds and is only a few quid. Ideal if you need your jacket for both.
Generally the manual jackets are cheaper but if you want to go all out for safety you can go for twin cylinders with light and sprayhood.

A good idea when ditching in cold water is a possibility is to have an external bladder with a breathing tube which allows you to take a breath from the bladder rather than a lung full of water during the cold shock stage on immersion. A nose clip is usually part of this product.
They are great for reducing the panic when attemping to exit a submerged craft.

[b.a. Baracus]

Ditching

Yes the Emergency Breathing System (EBS), any oil rig workers out there will know what I am talking about (Pop, Suck, Blow) probably gives you just under a minute of recycled air.... Whether you remember to do it in the heat of the moment is another question. Offshore heli pilots don't benefit from this equipment as it is too bulky strapped to their chest.

[SNS3Guppy]

A good idea when ditching in cold water is a possibility is to have an external bladder with a breathing tube which allows you to take a breath from the bladder rather than a lung full of water during the cold shock stage on immersion. A nose clip is usually part of this product.
They are great for reducing the panic when attemping to exit a submerged craft.

The problem is that if you're inside a surmerged and sinking aircraft, you don't want anything boyant attached to your person...the reason that life vests aren't inflated until you're outside the aircraft and clear of sinking debris. The vest, and any other boyancy, and trap you. and prevent your exit.

[tuscan]

guppy,

the EBS should not be confused with either a lifejacket or bouyancy aid, it is niether. It is a bladder that you inflate with your exhaled breath,it then scrubs and and recycles that breath for a limited period and does not impede your exit. It was designed for aircraft escape and is a great bit of kit. I have been trained over 20 years in underwater escape and when I first used one of these I noticed a significant difference in my attitude. Obviously the panic factor is removed (not for those with claustrophobia) and your first breath is air not water.

I have also used similar systems for escape from confined spaces (down inside oil platform legs) when they have been filled with gas and the only real problem I found was that the air become warmer and dried your throat. This lead to panic from some people but realistically when using this to exit an aircraft you will only use it for a matter of seconds and it will not be so bad.
Just to get you through the cold shock and long enough to get out the door.

[SNS3Guppy]

It's a rebreather system, then?

[Fuji Abound]

No, nothing at all like a rebreather, which is a far more complex piece of kit.

Essentially it is a mini SCUBA system.

[Droopystop]

Fuji,

I think you are confusing the EBS with STASS (short term air supply). EBS is a simple rebreather device which will give enough time to egress and get to the surface. All NS passengers have EBS now. See Shark Survival Home Page - Air Pocket. STASS is the mini scuba system as you put it and is a variation on diver's spare air system. STASS requires more training and runs the risk of baro trauma.

[Fuji Abound]

There does seem to be some confusion as to which systems come under this description.

See here for a useful study:

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAPAP2003_13.PDF

[Vee1Kut]

Yeah, but Guppy, I thought if you always had V1, the plane always flies..so a water landing in your world is not possible...just pitch the plane to V1, and everything will be ok.

[b.a. Baracus]

EBS

The EBS is definitely a useful bit of kit. It makes the whole experience a lot more pleasant and does not hinder your escape. The key is to hold onto a window (exit) when you know you’re going to flip and sink, if you don’t you become totally disorientated .