Dinghy Drills and Swimming Tests
Swimming? Pah!
Feel I oughta contribute, as I managed 26 years in HMs employ as driver airframe without ever being able to swim more than 2 lengths. No, it never went on my Annual; no, it didn't stop me from being a CSRO and no, it didn't stop me from holding all sorts of jobs which involved LL over the oggin for long stretches of time in single and twin engined rotary beasties.
As for dunking and STASS, IMNSHO you can shove 'em up yer proverbial after you've done one session. As I've mind-numbingly mentioned before, I can remember every single moment of every single Vernon/ Y'ton run I ever did and fully believe that they were irrelevant after the first time
. I don't need to be reminded how scary it is being thrashed about underwater while trussed-up in company with leery RN divers, ta - and until bang-seat riders are made to do a live Martin Baker letdown every 3 years I see no reason to inflict comparable iniquities upon real aircrew.
Now happily ensconced in a Police Aviation unit miles from any oggsplosh bigger than a canal, thankyou very much. Don't even have to wear a load-carrying corset in my job - lovely!
As for dunking and STASS, IMNSHO you can shove 'em up yer proverbial after you've done one session. As I've mind-numbingly mentioned before, I can remember every single moment of every single Vernon/ Y'ton run I ever did and fully believe that they were irrelevant after the first time
. I don't need to be reminded how scary it is being thrashed about underwater while trussed-up in company with leery RN divers, ta - and until bang-seat riders are made to do a live Martin Baker letdown every 3 years I see no reason to inflict comparable iniquities upon real aircrew.Now happily ensconced in a Police Aviation unit miles from any oggsplosh bigger than a canal, thankyou very much. Don't even have to wear a load-carrying corset in my job - lovely!
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Of course, you could just blag it the way we do on our 'purple' unit - whenever the SRO has finished with the bobbing up and down bit, and the duty boxhopper approaches with a gleam in his eye, simply tell him 'sorry pal, no crabs today - we're all fishheads and pongos'. Then pi55 off down the station caff for a heroic bacon butty as befits the steely-eyed (but slightly moist) aviators that we are!
Btw, how do you drown a PTI? Easy - just place a mirror in the deep end!
Btw, how do you drown a PTI? Easy - just place a mirror in the deep end!
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Chaps,
I'm not going to harp on (like I did in my last input - sorry) but may I clarify just a couple of points.
Stop Start, I'm pleased your comments were tongue-in-cheek, and of course I wouldn't disagree with what you say about it all being a balance of probability thing. Yes, agree entirely, but.....
there are people like J(G)C about who will verify and concur my comments, and there are a LOT of them about.
If the chances of you ending up in a dinghy are nill, then great, and I'm delighted for you
As for the rest of us, we will almost certainly, at some stage, fly our machines over the sea, and therefore there IS a chance, albeit very remote, that we could end up getting wet so it is worth bearing that in mind - **** does happen!!
I appreciate that dinghy drills and swimming tests/assessments blah is a nause. And I understand that one station will do only 4 lengths, in trunks, in a nice warm pool, whilst others do 500 lengths in flying kit, in the cold 'oggin. But that's a standards problem, and it's not a valid reason for not doing it
Try to 'work' the problem to your advantage
Don't get pi**ed off with it, go out and have some fun whilst your doing it even at the expense of the nice PTI
but most importantly learn from it.
I'm not trying to teach you guys to suck eggs, believe me, honest!
Sermon over!
Lastly, may I wish you all and very safe (and dry!!) Christmas and New Year, and I hope I don't meet any of you in a 'professional' capacity..... ever!!
Best wishes
The Swinging Monkey
'Caruthers, fetch me and Rudolph a large brandy old boy!'
I'm not going to harp on (like I did in my last input - sorry) but may I clarify just a couple of points.
Stop Start, I'm pleased your comments were tongue-in-cheek, and of course I wouldn't disagree with what you say about it all being a balance of probability thing. Yes, agree entirely, but.....
there are people like J(G)C about who will verify and concur my comments, and there are a LOT of them about.
If the chances of you ending up in a dinghy are nill, then great, and I'm delighted for you
As for the rest of us, we will almost certainly, at some stage, fly our machines over the sea, and therefore there IS a chance, albeit very remote, that we could end up getting wet
so it is worth bearing that in mind - **** does happen!!I appreciate that dinghy drills and swimming tests/assessments blah is a nause. And I understand that one station will do only 4 lengths, in trunks, in a nice warm pool, whilst others do 500 lengths in flying kit, in the cold 'oggin. But that's a standards problem, and it's not a valid reason for not doing it
Try to 'work' the problem to your advantage
Don't get pi**ed off with it, go out and have some fun whilst your doing it
even at the expense of the nice PTI but most importantly learn from it. I'm not trying to teach you guys to suck eggs, believe me, honest!
Sermon over!
Lastly, may I wish you all and very safe (and dry!!) Christmas and New Year, and I hope I don't meet any of you in a 'professional' capacity..... ever!!
Best wishes
The Swinging Monkey
'Caruthers, fetch me and Rudolph a large brandy old boy!'
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Our VC10 friends like to do their annual evacuation drills on the taxiway adjacent to the tower.
(Name the guilty map-stacker who called the APU wet start as a FIRE!)
An amusing story from the hilarity at Akrotiri last weekend. Some of the passengers (VIP's?) complained about getting french chalk from the emergency inflatable slides, all over their suits!
(Name the guilty map-stacker who called the APU wet start as a FIRE!)
An amusing story from the hilarity at Akrotiri last weekend. Some of the passengers (VIP's?) complained about getting french chalk from the emergency inflatable slides, all over their suits!
Having flown over the ogin in Albert down to 50ft on almost every sortie, all those times spent jumping into the outdoor pool at the other secret Wiltshire base in mid winter concentrated the mind somewhat. Never had to do it for real, but it was nice to know I knew what cold shock was, and how to get the MS36 up the right way, if it happened. Did it that many times, we could recite the drill from memory/experience, or perhaps that was the point?
STOP START. Seem to remember 50ft over the Baltic in December, and at low level over the same water for 8 hours some years ago with you. Don't think our Albert would have floated very well though! Glad to see you have gone "up" in the world!
STOP START. Seem to remember 50ft over the Baltic in December, and at low level over the same water for 8 hours some years ago with you. Don't think our Albert would have floated very well though! Glad to see you have gone "up" in the world!
Champagne anyone...?
Damn.
Alright, apart from the 50' thrashing about over the Baltic, dodging ferries, in the middle of December, when do I ever run the risk of ditching?
And with that, all his arguments fell apart........
PS. When are they going to stop fooling about and get that damn fine beast back in the air again?
Alright, apart from the 50' thrashing about over the Baltic, dodging ferries, in the middle of December, when do I ever run the risk of ditching?
And with that, all his arguments fell apart........
PS. When are they going to stop fooling about and get that damn fine beast back in the air again?
Stop Start.
Rumour Control has it "that fine beast" will be given a minor and be back in the air soon. More, I hear they plan to remove the nose.
The bad news is that it is not for us. We are still at the mercy of Baron Wast of Space.
I hear the Baron's losse on the 146 conversion is now well into 8 figures, as well as being over 12 months late!
Rumour Control has it "that fine beast" will be given a minor and be back in the air soon. More, I hear they plan to remove the nose.
The bad news is that it is not for us. We are still at the mercy of Baron Wast of Space.
I hear the Baron's losse on the 146 conversion is now well into 8 figures, as well as being over 12 months late!
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Having spent a reasonable amount of time bobbing around in a dinghy awaiting rescue, I can honestly say that the RAF Swimming Test has helpt in absolutely no way whatsoever. Empire Building???
Frankly, if a large maritime patrol aircraft were to crash into the ogin , swimming 4 lengths in a flying suit would be the last thing that would go through your mind (Just before the Searchwater Scanner!!!) Why??
Frankly, if a large maritime patrol aircraft were to crash into the ogin , swimming 4 lengths in a flying suit would be the last thing that would go through your mind (Just before the Searchwater Scanner!!!) Why??
Last edited by FEWNCOP; 15th Dec 2002 at 00:27.
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I have no objection to dingy drills either in the pool or in the North Sea - it is one piece of useful training that doesn't seem to be in danger of being cut back.
However, as for the swimming test....
We do the dingy drill and then have to swim 6 lengths in a flying suit followed by 2 minutes of treading water. What are we trying to achieve? Are we simulating that on ejection we have somehow lost our immersion suit, helmet, g-suit, boots, LSJ, and everything else except our shreddies and coverall, and have to therefore swim 6 lengths and tread water before being picked up by the SAR chaps? Or are they trying to simulate having to swim to your dingy as your PSP lanyard has snapped, in which case lets do the swimming bit with all the kit on. (And without daft constraints like 2 lengths crawl, 2 lengths breaststroke, 2 lengths freestyle as well.)
The idea looks like a PTI job creation scheme / CSRO empire building to me.
However, as for the swimming test....
We do the dingy drill and then have to swim 6 lengths in a flying suit followed by 2 minutes of treading water. What are we trying to achieve? Are we simulating that on ejection we have somehow lost our immersion suit, helmet, g-suit, boots, LSJ, and everything else except our shreddies and coverall, and have to therefore swim 6 lengths and tread water before being picked up by the SAR chaps? Or are they trying to simulate having to swim to your dingy as your PSP lanyard has snapped, in which case lets do the swimming bit with all the kit on. (And without daft constraints like 2 lengths crawl, 2 lengths breaststroke, 2 lengths freestyle as well.)
The idea looks like a PTI job creation scheme / CSRO empire building to me.
How many civil Perf A aircraft carry dinghies for their passengers? I would guess about.......none?
But the Virgin Atlantic pool drill during training is, I understand, very taxing indeed. As aircrew you have to play the part of an incapacitated passenger whilst a bevy of lovelies try to 'rescue' you! Their only protection against the rigours of the heated indoor pool being skimpy bikinis.... Another 'pull factor'? No - I don't mean in that way!!
But the Virgin Atlantic pool drill during training is, I understand, very taxing indeed. As aircrew you have to play the part of an incapacitated passenger whilst a bevy of lovelies try to 'rescue' you! Their only protection against the rigours of the heated indoor pool being skimpy bikinis.... Another 'pull factor'? No - I don't mean in that way!!
Well I do believe he doth protest too much! But what can you expect from a group who wear "not quite blue" suits?
Close enuff?
Close enuff?
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One of the many reasons for moving Downunda was the more acceptable form of dingy drills. Every couple of years dip in to the bay in mid summer (20 - 22 Deg C) and float around for a while watching the lovelies on the beach before a pie on the way back to base!!! (Had to mind the odd shark though)
Now they've gone and built a big indoor thingy so it's pool drills, dunker and Heeds EVERY YEAR! And some sad $%#@^% has had a sprinkler system instaled so you get realy ...realy wet. Come back good old Falmouth Bay!
(I'm putting in for diving pay)
(Had to mind the odd shark though)Now they've gone and built a big indoor thingy so it's pool drills, dunker and Heeds EVERY YEAR!
And some sad $%#@^% has had a sprinkler system instaled so you get realy ...realy wet. Come back good old Falmouth Bay!(I'm putting in for diving pay)
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Here`s a question!
As someone who did end up swimming for real, at night, in winter, many moons ago,why did I have to go on a dingy-drill a fortnight later in a nice warm swimming pool as my experience did not count?
As someone who did end up swimming for real, at night, in winter, many moons ago,why did I have to go on a dingy-drill a fortnight later in a nice warm swimming pool as my experience did not count?
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You lot have obviously been slacking.
On completion of my last dinghy drill, we swam 3 lengths, trod water for 2 minutes, THEN, swam 25 metres, rescued an incapacitated 'survivor' and recovered them 25 metres to the other end of the pool using the hand on chin method.
If you're not sure of your fitness, or ability to drown your survivor/best mate/worst enemy/stewardess etc, etc,.. give it a go.
On completion of my last dinghy drill, we swam 3 lengths, trod water for 2 minutes, THEN, swam 25 metres, rescued an incapacitated 'survivor' and recovered them 25 metres to the other end of the pool using the hand on chin method.
If you're not sure of your fitness, or ability to drown your survivor/best mate/worst enemy/stewardess etc, etc,.. give it a go.
