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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 1168.PDF
144 FLIGHT, 29 July I960 Above, members of the course which "Flight" attended being briefed on helicopter rescue by M.Nay F. P. Watts of No 22 Sqn are (from left to right) Fg Oft P. D. Biockey, Fit Lts I. H. Laurie and J. E. Vickery, and Sqn Ldr L W. Phipps Left, Fit Lt Laurie about to "ditch" in llfracombe Baths, with his right hand ready on the quick-release box Below, last-minute briefing by Fit Lt Batt (left) for Biockey and Laurie, with Humphrey Wynn—no* feeling so apprehensive as he looks—in the centre. Fit Lt Firth is on the right SIMULATING HUNTER EMERGENCIES . . . one of the first priorities, once an ejectee is installed in his dinghy,is to get it working. (SARAH is apparently to be replaced by SARBE—UHF—equipment in about a year's time.) Most of the other equipment in the lifejacket is self-explana-tory : the important thing about the Chivenor course is that pilots have every bit taken out and shown to them, so that it is madeclear that nearly every bulge contains something useful. The heliograph is used for attracting attention (when there issun available to provide message-power) and has a range of 4/5 miles; the ground/air emergency code explains what signalsto lay out; the McMurdo light (which lasts about 8hr) is for re-grouping members of a crew in darkness—or alternatively,as Fit Lt Batt commented drily, for re-reading pilots' notes; the whistle is similarly used for attracting attention, and the sea-dyemarker—the dye is poisonous—spreads a patch on the #Sfeer. As well as seeing the contents of a lifejacket, we were shown the dinghy and told how to inflate it and get into it, while Batt addedseveral useful points of information. One was that the CO2 bottle should be held firmly under wateruntil its job of inflation was finished; another, that the dingby should be entered by pushing down on the narrow end with bo:hhands, and falling aboard at the same time, then using the loops provided to get funher aboard. Batt gave a useful tip for judgingheight above the sea, so as not to press the parachute quici^ release box too soon: take off your bone-dome and drop it in:othe water, watching how long it takes to reach the surface. He showed how the metal studs (to be replaced by "touch-and make"nylon) on the two sides of the canopy should be fastened up, protection being No 1 priority once one is in the dinghy. In order of priority, the principles of survival (applying to theland as well as to the sea) were listed as follows : (1) protection, (2) location, (3) water, (4) food and (5) other aids.The survival pack was likewise dissected and explained: it con- tains lj pints of water, socks, gloves and a hat (all located in theseat cushion); first-aid kit; knife; sea survival pamphlet; two de-salting kits (two pints of water can be made with each); t^otins of Mk 4 emergency flying rations; 2-star reds (there are |lx in the "J" pack: but the 2-star red is going to be replaced by SignalDistress, Day/Night Mk 1—American origin, British-made in this country under licence); a tin containing a fishing line; hooks anda spinner; burning glass; sharpening stone; six ER razor blades; water purification tablets; a pair of paddles; and a compass. Thereis also a solar still which should give 1^ pints of water in an eight- hour day: Fit Lt Batt demonstrated how this should be used. We had a practical demonstration on the airfield of beingwinched up into a helicopter, either putting the harness on our- selves or being double-lifted (the procedure in case of injury) bya crewman. This exercise was carried out with a Westland Whirlwind of No 22 (ASR) Son, on detachment at Chivenor. Realistic tests of dinghy drill also form part of the HSE course:one (in which Ian Macdonald and I participated) takes place at The following manufacturers are among the suppliers of theemergency equipment mentioned in this article: — R.F.D. Co Ltd Dinghies and survival packsP. Frankenstein & Sons Ltd Lifejackets and immersion suits Martin-Baker Aircraft Co Ltd Ejection seatsLea Bridge Industries Ltd Solar stills Walter Kidde Co Ltd Lifejacket inflation bottlesIrving Air Chute of Great Britain Ltd Parachutes G.Q. Parachute Co Ltd ParachutesUltra Electronics Ltd SARAH Ilfracombe Baths, the other in Barnstaple Bay—with the co-opera-tion of the Appledore lifeboat. The sea dinghy drill we attended on our previous visit to Chivenor, though as spectators; this timewe plunged in the baths with members of the course, and although we didn't break any records—Macdonald took about 36sec gettingaboard and I took over 40, because my dinghy inflated upside down-—it was a very useful experience. An important aspect ofthe course is that it builds up confidence in using equipment. This is especially useful when ejection seat procedure isdescribed. Three types of Martin-Baker seat, the Mks 2H, 3H and 4H, are on view in one of the lecture rooms, and Fit Lt Battdescribed the differences between them. (For example, with the Mk 4 you don't need to cross the leg-restraining straps; theyare already crossed under the seat cushion.) He also outlined the pre-flight checks which should be done: the safety pins, tomake the seat safe on the ground, should be left in until the last minute; there should be no red mark showing on the top latch(pin fully in on the later type of latch); and the drogue gun safety pin should be out. Batt stressed that correct posture is veryimportant before ejecting, and that if any pre-ejection "strappery" can be done, so much the better. There are certain minimum heights and speeds to ensure safeejection. For example, with a seat modified for ground level ejection, the minimum speed is 90kt on the runway. Normally(as has often been Droved) all should go well. Having pulled the blind, the canopy flies off; one second later out you go, completewith seat, which separates from you after the automatics have run through, and all you have to do is to make a safe landing (atechnique which is taught in the gymnasium at Chivenor). In the unlucky event of the ejection mechanism failing tooperate, you can release the canopy, and bale out minus the seat (provided that you have remembered to "isolate" yourself); or ifthe seat fires successfully but fails to detach itself from you, the No 1 "D" ring should be pulled (to isolate oneself from the auto-matics), and then No 2 to deploy the parachute manually, when clear of the seat. Films shown at Chivenor as pan of the HSE course illustran-the ejection seat in operation; and there are also films on survival at sea and on the land, parachute techniques and under-waterejection. The HSE course forms a comprehensive five davr instruction, giving Hunter pilots invaluable tuition in the drillwhich, if carried out correctly, can save their lives in emergency
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