Helmets,flt.suits & other cool stuff...

Wow...this subject sure got exciting!I just want to thank everyone for their views.I'm now considering a helmet too....As far as the survival gear goes, I have a chk.list of things to bring for different types of flying...i.e cross country,over water,ifr etc.When i flew a Cherokee180 310 miles out in the carribean,my pass.& I both wore our vests,had a complete survival set-up including dome tent,life raft etc.which had a floatation device attached.The drill was this: 1) lose an engine w/no restart by time 1000',open door & get ready for ditch. 2) just before touchdown throw out survival gear w/the float.attached. 3) after the big splash get out & swim to the floating gear. 4) pull cord on raft & get in & then paddle to nearest island.We had the shelter,food,H2O,insect rep.,xtra sunglasses & sunscreen.Plus we were on a flt.plan....Now my point is:we had a plan & took the necessary precautions/equip.etc.As pilots we already have accepted the RISKS....we can only try to minimize those risks to live & fly another day...And by the way,the Bahama trip went great.The farthest we were from any island was about 30-40 miles .I was cruising at 9500' or so.My 180 had a glide ratio of 1.7 miles for every 1000' of alt.So i guess we would have had to paddle about 25 miles to land or less to one of the numerous boats we saw....Thats another thing about the Bah.waters,it is warm & lots of boats to ditch near...The Bahamas is a pilots paradise & a Cub migration would be cool!! Lots of info.on the net or anyone interested could just email me for more details.....Thanks to all who make this a great site...Herman in Texas. P.S....I meant to tack this onto the Flight Helmet thread but I pushed the wrong button...

at that altitude you could almost always glide right to land. you didnt need any water survival gear. think about it.

I also wouldn't bet on your ability to shove a raft and survival gear out the door when the airplane is still flying. You could well crash the airplane trying to shove this stuff out the door.

try just opening the door sometime while in flight, at a safe altitude. It's not real practical.

Wait till youre on the surface, then shove everything out.

And, just because you think you'll be high enough to glide to land, I'd still carry a raft down there. Never know when weather might force you a bit lower,

MTV

survival gear

Flyer....as pilots we all decide our risks & potential.Based on that we minimize those risks as much possible.On this particular Bahama trip,since it was my first,I brought what would be needed in a worse case scenario....long time in water,no boats near & poss.stay on an island etc.The goal is to plan for the unexpected (at least my goal anyway) and live to tell the tale.Also someone in a previous post stated"it's better to have it & not need it,than needit & not have it."That is my philosophy also.The funny thing about these aircraft is they don't tell you how far from a suitable landing site you'll be when they go tits up...so I just gotta be prepared! Thanks for your thoughts though....and no disrespect to the ladies,just a southern phrase.

...no boats near & poss.stay on an island etc.

Click to expand...

Pick your passenger well and it turns from a worst case to best case scenario...

hatin, you are missing something here. simple math. if the next island is 32 miles away or less you can glide back to shore or awful close to it. so you dont need a raft. there is no way you have to paddle 25 miles-- get it.

Sounds like your having fun . .and have thought things out. I also agree that item #2 will be somewhat impractical. Even when excited & the "rush is on". In the air . you may be able to get a pop can out that door but not much more. And if you were able to "loose" the gear (but not on a std. Cherokee 180) and you managed to "grease it" on top of a swell. . . you will still be unable to open that cracked door. Providing you don't "dig in" or cartwheel . . . the plane skips and then slides for what seems like a long time . .with a "rooster tail" of water coming off the door. After the forward motion has stopped . .your bird will then start to ride the swells. And only then will you be able to get it open. And . .by all means don't you or your passengers pull your Co2 cartrige on the life vest until out on the wing. Or, you are going to have a difficult time out the door. Back to the life vest . . . and it may be taken for granted. . . make sure it is fastened around your waist prior to getting very busy . .and you well get very busy. Or when you slip . .slid . . fall . . or get thrown off the wing . . you'll find that the bottom of the vest will float above your head and try to drown you. It will take all the super human strenght that you have at the time to pull it down or get it off your head. For "grins" try it sometime in a pool to see what happens . . . not for real. I was almost "not here" because of that.
Keep fly'en . . and keep dry.

math & ditching w/the right passenger.

Flyer & everyone else.....thanks for all your posts.I love to get other folks perspective.I do see the point of not trying to have pass.throw out the survivalbag/raft before the splash,could get difficult.Thanks.Now onto the math issue.......Let me explain my numbers & if I am incorrect ,then ya'll show me the correct figures...As I stated,the farthest we were from land was 30-40 miles.Now I don't mean at the shore of one island & the next one is 30-40 away.I mean the closet land is 30-40 in any direction.Now my Cherokee 180 would glide 1.7 miles for every 1000' of alt.We were at aprox.9500'.So 1.7mi.x 9.5=16.15 miles of glide.If we are 30 mi.from land we are going to paddle 13.85 mi....If we are 40 mi.from land we are going to paddle 23.85 mi.Now when I did my earlier post & stated we would have to paddle about 25 mi.I was doing quick math in my head.But I was about right,around 25 mi.or less to paddle in the raft.....Now folks I really want to be right or very wrong in this math.Either way could someone concur or show me what I'm missing here,as I plan to do more over water trips.....Also let me say I don't take any of these posts personal,even if some may seem that way.I am here to learn & share ideas,info.& experiences w/all who care to do the same....Let the comments begin......Herman in Texas.