Preparing for the Plunge
Aviation safety training continued. A second instructor joined super safety teacher Vince Welbaum for the practical or hands-on test today. The scientists, research assistants, and my four new Eskimo friends from 30 miles north of the Arctic Circle all absorbed the ‘ditching’ videos. We tried to commit to memory the eight-step survival strategy. We repeated, then practiced, and then said it all over again. Soon it was time to take our ride to the pool. It was time to be tested. Ditching is a skill that can be learned. We were reassured.
Safety Helmet
safety helmet
Safety helmets like these will save your life in a helicopter accident or when skateboarding
No need to change into our swimsuits, but there was a warm shower before we jumped into the deep end of the pool. In our street clothes.
Waterproof Camera
showerclothes
Before we did the ditching exercises, we had a warm shower with our clothes on
And our shoes.
We put on inflatable life preservers and dove down to the eleven-foot depths. We actually got to pull on the ‘Pull Here’ tab that automatically inflated the pillows of the vest. We blew into the second hose to inflate the second pillow and floated on the surface like so many frigate birds on display.
Stroke Stroke Stroke
stroke stroke stroke
A collaborative swimming exercise helped us learn to work together
Next we linked arms to conserve our heat and to make a larger target for the rescue craft. Like so many synchronized swimmers, we dropped out hands and locked our legs around our neighbor’s waist. Led by one strong voice, our paddle arms propelled our body cross the length of the pool.
Life Saving Rosette
Life Saving
From lower left Mike, John, Lee, Dan and Merrel form a lifesaving rosette with instructor Vince Welbaum (center)
Stroke, stroke, stroke.
With firm guidance, our trusted instructors set us up, two at a time into the PIG (Personal Immersion Gadget). We wore a sturdy white safety helmet that turned our heads into so many boiled eggs. We strapped the four points of the harness into the latch and practiced the eight-step survival strategy until we got it right.
Local Girl Does Good
Yay Kym
Kym Yano, a Marine Mammal specialist born in Honolulu and educated at UH, emerges happily from the ditching maching
And we all did.
It was four hours later when we squished out of the pool and into the van. We all had silly grins on our faces. Despite our dragging tails, the day was one of the best so far. Who knew a TEACHER would be learning to DITCH?!
Did you know? Alaska ranks #1 in the nation as having the highest number of commercial airline accidents. 35% of all commercial airline accidents occur there.