Professional Training for Professionals
By: Jim Hartwell
The FOA has had as members since its conception, a host of very dedicated and earnest participants. Dedicated in providing safety programs and initiatives that are and have provided the industry and the people we fly with, programs that enhance safety. In an earnest approach to applying their training techniques, Pro Aviation has stepped up to the plate with providing to anyone, programs that effectively provide training methods for egressing-from compromised aircraft.
How does Pro Aviation apply these techniques to the traveller? Well, the program offered by Pro Aviation is firstly, founded on a great deal of knowledge attained by its founders and staff. Knowledge, that was attained then enhanced upon from years of training and experience secured from the Canadian military and civil aviation. A plethora of experience that addresses all aspects of over water flying orientation. Experience that goes to the key elements of what it is that a student in one of Pro Aviation’s courses are provided with. Experience that is in place and readily availed to the student from Pro Aviation’s helpful staff. From instructors with thousands of hours of flight time, certified Scuba credentials, backgrounds with Transport Canada, as company Aviation Safety Officers, Coast Guard flying backgrounds to aircraft training in sea survival with the Canadian Navy. These, along with ditching at sea, on land and artic survival training as well as PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors) and lifeguard training makes for a well prepared graduate. Dedicated to providing the best and most contemporary training available, Pro Aviation can take anyone who wishes to learn the skill-set necessary to learn how to egress from an aircraft and give that person the knowledge and the confidence to extricate themselves quickly and safely from an egress situation. The techniques learned at Pro Aviation are tried and true and with any safety program of this nature, Pro Aviation is constantly looking for and upgrading to the latest, in safety techniques. It’s a hands-on course with the knowledgeable staff, keeping a close and learned eye on their clients, as the students graduate through the necessary steps needed to learn the techniques involved with orienting and egressing themselves from all possible scenarios.
The training available at Pro Aviation doesn’t stop here, however. Pro Aviation is a company that is at the forefront with many other training programs. Pro Aviation provides courses in HUET (Helicopter Underwater Egress Training) which includes ditching scenarios, ditching procedures, survival equipment (aircraft and personal), sea survival and hypothermia techniques. Pro Aviation also provides courses in Crew Resource Management and Passenger Safety. Because Pro Aviation has diving qualifications/certifications and instructors on staff, Pro Aviation also provides EBS (Emergency Breathing Systems) training, for those that use this type of equipment.
Questions from FOA – April 2, 2014
1. If you were to describe your mission statement, what would that be?
We are committed to providing quality interactive safety training to increase and promote awareness of aviation safety. This is why we are called Pro Aviation Safety Training.
2. How many people do you think you have helped with your training programs?
We hope that we have helped all of the almost 5000 people that we have trained since 1998, to one extent or another, to promote aviation safety.
3. How many cases of lives saved do you think, are a result of your training?
We have been accredited with at least 5 people surviving an accident as a direct result of the training we have provided them with.
Although we find this somewhat satisfying, we would rather not have people involved in these types of accidents. Whether you are a pilot or passenger, we promote and train pro-active accident prevention. Although we understand there is always a risk of being involved in an underwater egress situation, we prefer that participants use our training to prevent the accident from occurring in the first place. In fact, the practical underwater egress training is a real eye opener for most and acts as a good motivator not to be involved in these types of accidents.
In this case, it would be difficult to determine how many accidents were avoided as a result of our training, but from the feedback we have been receiving, we know there has been a positive impact on increasing aviation safety and awareness.
4. Where and to what extent do you think the trends in egress training are going? Do you think that this is something that will be legislated in the foreseeable future?
Underwater egress training has been mandatory in the offshore helicopter industry and the military for many years as a proven way of saving lives. The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has made several recommendations in past reports and studies to make underwater egress training mandatory for floatplane pilots. In a recent fatal accident involving a DHC-2 that crashed into a lake in May 2012, the TSB stated in its accident report, its concern that pilots who have not received training in underwater egress may not be able to exit the aircraft and subsequently help passengers to safety. It also recommended that the Department of Transport require underwater egress training for all flight crews engaged in commercial seaplane operations.
In recent years, Transport Canada and the specialized underwater-egress training industry have made considerable efforts in educating pilots and operators on the importance of underwater egress procedures and training. Through pamphlets, newsletter articles, posters, videos and brochures, the aviation industry has received the bulk of the information and awareness materials.
However, those education efforts have succeeded only partially; while crews and operators are aware, a very important segment of our industry, the passengers, has not benefited to the same extent from this awareness drive.
The reality is that the majority of passengers will not seek specialized underwater egress training, and therein lies the challenge. How best to reach them? The aforementioned awareness materials are indeed available on-line for most of us who know how to find them. But then again, how many passengers will seek that specialized information? It is therefore the commercial operators-and their flight crews who are in the best position to transfer this knowledge to the paying passengers. Other than the formal underwater egress training program, the most effective and traditional way of accomplishing this knowledge transfer is to provide the best, most comprehensive pre-flight briefing possible supported by a pre-flight video and reading material, such as a brochure or pamphlet.
In June 2011, as a result of the fatal DHC-2 Beaver accident in Lyall Harbour, Transport Canada issued a Civil Aviation Safety Alert encouraging all commercial and private floatplane operators to adopt several floatplane safety best industry practices, one of which being “emergency egress training for flight crew”.
In a report to the Chief Coroner of British Columbia as a result of this and three other fatal aviation accidents, the coronial death review panel had emphasized the value of underwater egress training. It said that “Such training should be mandatory for seaplane flight crews, and strongly recommended for passengers who frequently fly over water, such as workers commuting to remote coastal work places; likewise, the panel recognized that the infrequent flyers that make up a large percentage of passengers on seaplane flights would benefit from enhanced pre-flight safety briefings that contain instructions on underwater egress”.
Transport Canada is currently drafting a proposed regulation that will introduce mandatory emergency underwater egress training for flight crews of commercially operated fixed wing seaplanes. The proposed regulation makes egress training mandatory for initial training, with recurrent training required every three years thereafter on an ongoing basis. The proposed regulation is anticipated to be pre-published in the Canada Gazette Part 1 in summer 2014.
In the meantime, there are already some companies who have implemented a policy requiring their employees (passengers) take underwater egress training.
5. Do you foresee this type of training becoming the norm for everyone traveling on floatplanes or aircraft in general?
It may not be the norm for everyone, but for pilots and passengers who frequently fly in small floatplanes and helicopters over water, this type of training has already become a “norm”.
Given that, we are finding that the importance of underwater egress training is becoming more mainstream with the general public each year. The natural progression is that passengers are accepting these training benefits to help mitigate the barriers to a safe egress whether participating voluntarily or by company policy.
6. You must feel very gratified in knowing that you are potentially helping to save someone’s life. Can you describe an occasion where you knew of one of your students applying the techniques learned from your program that contributed in saving their life?
In addition to many other unsolicited testimonials, here are three examples that coincidentally all occurred in 2005:
Bella Bella CCG (TSB Report A05P0103) – A Canadian Coast Guard pilot who was involved in an accident during slinging operations survived an underwater egress and said he survived as a result of our training,
Devils Lake BC accident (TSB Report A05P0262) – The Environment Canada technician evacuated the submerged helicopter and rescued the person in the front seat. The report states that the “recent underwater emergency escape training gave the conscious passenger the knowledge and experience he needed to help him remain calm, escape safely, and rescue the unconscious passenger from the submerged wreckage”.
Aviation Today Sept 2005 – “I thought that I was going to buy it,” Jones recalled quietly in his Scottish brogue. “My first recollection was hitting the water. I could see the surface clearly and that is when my training kicked in.” Specifically, Jones remembered his Navy training long ago as well as his recent helicopter underwater egress, aircraft ditching and sea survival training he’d received from Pro Aviation Training in Langley, B.C. Despite severe injuries to his ribs, legs and eye, he steadied himself, pulled the buckle release, used the airframe to help his exit and floated to the surface. “I was very pleased when I saw a helicopter on the horizon,” Jones chuckled in classic understatement, crediting the training for saving his life. His three passengers weren’t as lucky. They died in the crash.”
Although our core training is based on Underwater Egress training, we have received many other, what we consider “success stories”, such as the following excerpt sent to us via email in March 2009.
“the one tip emphasized by yourself that resonates with me now, is the ‘brace’ position. This position has never been demonstrated to me in a safety briefing before your course. I was in a Cessna 337 Skymaster that went down while doing wildlife surveys on August 17, 2008. The last thing I remember before waking up in the plane was going into the brace position at a very low altitude. From what I understand the plane rolled several times, striking various snags and trees that were in the wetland where we went down, one wing was completely sheared off, the fuselage folded into 2, and my door came off.
I suffered a badly broken wrist and lacerated elbow, as well as other serious injuries. The pilot succumbed. I mention the arm injuries because I expect that it would have been my head otherwise, and I can’t imagine that my limbs would still be attached if they had been free to flail outside the aircraft during the impact. I was severely injured and would not have been able to egress if we had come to rest in water (and it is a miracle that my body was above water) but I credit the ‘brace position’ with my survival. So thanks very much for that!”
7. Why is it so difficult for someone to egress from a submerged or semi-submerged aircraft? What do you teach your students that allows them the skill set they require to get out of a compromised aircraft?
The most difficult part of surviving a ditching accident is the underwater egress. Accident reports indicate that many people survive the initial impact, but needlessly drown because they were unable to extricate themselves from the aircraft. A study on survivability in seaplane accidents conducted by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) suggested that fatalities in seaplane accidents terminating in water are frequently the result of post-impact drowning. Most drownings occurred inside the cabin of the aircraft, and occupants who survived often found exiting the aircraft quite difficult. In fact, over two-thirds of the deaths occurred to occupants who were not incapacitated during the impact, but drowned trying to escape the aircraft.
Panic, disorientation, unfamiliarity with escape hatches, and lack of proper training are some of the major factors that contribute to drowning. During an emergency situation, rather than pause to think, most will react on instinct and as a result of learned behaviours; if people never acquired a learned behaviour that is appropriate for this type of situation, such as the steps to follow in an underwater egress scenario, the odds of reacting appropriately are much smaller. For example, when getting out of a car, most of us release our seat belt before opening the door. We do this without even thinking – it is a learned behaviour. If we are strapped into an aircraft that is sinking, a common reaction is to release our seat belt first, then try to get out. We have reverted to the learned behaviour we have acquired every time we get out of a car.
In many accidents, people have hastily and prematurely removed their seat belts and, as a result, have been moved around the inside of the aircraft due to the in-rushing water. With the lack of gravitational reference, disorientation can rapidly overwhelm a person. The end result is panic and the inability to carry out a simple procedure to find a way out of the aircraft.
Before releasing our seat belt, we need to stay strapped in our seat until the in-rush of water has stopped, our exit is identified, and we have grabbed a reference point. As long as we are strapped in our seated position, we have a reference point relative to our exit, which will combat disorientation. Also, pushing or pulling open our exit will be much easier if we are still strapped in our seat.
All on board must be familiar with the exits and door handles, and know how to use them with their eyes closed. This advice may seem simple, but think about the car example. Opening the door from the inside is not considered a difficult task. However, think back to a time when you were in a friend’s car, and you couldn’t locate or operate the door handle immediately.
An unfamiliar task, to be executed submerged, quite possibly upside down, in the dark, and in very cold water: what could seem like a simple undertaking suddenly becomes monumental.
In water accidents, seaplanes tend to come to rest inverted. The key to your survival is to retain your situational awareness and to expeditiously exit the aircraft.
To help prevent panic and disorientation, we teach our students the following 5 simple steps to follow in the event they are faced with an underwater egress situation . . .
1 Stay Calm/ Wait for the motion to stop: No matter if you are submerging right side up or upside down, the key to a successful egress is remaining calm. Wait for the motion to stop (count up to 5 seconds). This will also give you an opportunity to think about what you are going to do next. Be prepared for the possibility of cold shock if the in-rush of water that floods the cabin is ice cold. Your body’s initial reaction to sudden immersion in cold water may cause exhalation of air, consequently you may involuntarily inhale some water. Don’t release your seat belt and shoulder harness until you are ready to exit. If you release your seat belt prematurely, the in-rush of water may push you around and contribute to disorientation.
2 Open/Identify Your Exit: Have a plan or mental road map of how you’re going to locate your exit. To find the exit handle, put your hand on your knee, knee against the cabin wall, feel your way along until you find something you recognize like the armrest or a door seam, and work up from there to the exit handle. Be familiar with your exits and door handles and know how to use them beforehand. Everyone on board should have that tactile experience and know how the doors work.
3 Grab Hold of Reference Point: Grab a reference point that you are familiar with in the direction of your exit. Don’t release your belt without having hold of a reference point. You should always have one hand on a reference point and don’t let go before you grip another.
4 Release Your Seat Belt/Harness: Once the exit is open, keep a hold on that reference point, release your belt with the other hand and pull yourself through your exit. Never let go until you are out.
5 Pull Yourself Out: Resist the urge to frantically kick as you may become entangled in any loose wires or debris. If you’re stuck, don’t panic, try backing up a bit and rotating a little before proceeding.
Once you’re clear of the aircraft, the next thing you want to do is find a way to the surface. This can be difficult particularly if you lack positive buoyancy that would normally cause you to float to the surface of the water.
How do you know which way is up? If you are able to release air bubbles, even if it’s dark, you may be able to sense which way the bubbles are going. If you feel increased pressure on your ears, this may indicate that you’re swimming in the wrong direction. Certainly if you’re wearing an inflatable life preserver, inflate it. As you’ll be rising rapidly in the water, exhale slowly and hold one hand above your head as you surface to make sure you don’t come in contact with any wreckage and/or debris.
Remember that training and preparation is the key to survival. By practicing the skills for ditching and underwater egress in a pool with professional staff, passengers, too, can acquire the learned behaviour we discussed above and avoid becoming victims of this unforgiving situation.
8. How does your training program work? Can anyone sign up to take a course and how much time does someone need to set aside for this type of training?
The aim of our training program is to provide participants with the skill, knowledge and confidence to survive a real underwater escape situation. More importantly, even as passengers, we teach strategies they can use to help prevent accidents.
This one-day training session starts with 3.5 hours classroom presentation, including ditching procedures, aircraft egress, passenger safety and sea survival techniques. During the afternoon session in the pool, practical instruction is given on life preservers and life rafts (righting from inverted position, boarding, equipment and use). This is followed by practicing several different scenarios in the underwater egress trainer.
For those participating in our optional compressed air Emergency Breathing Systems (EBS) module, the training consists of description of equipment, concepts and safety precautions and practical instruction and use on EBS in pool and underwater escape trainer. We finish off with a debrief and presentation of certificates and training records.
This course is Transport Canada approved as a recurrent training program satisfying the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CAR) 401.05 (2) (a) two-year recency requirement for private pilots.
Normally anyone over the age of 15 can sign up and they should be in good health and physically capable to participant in the practical exercises. The training is completed in one day.
For more information, please refer to our website: www.proaviation.ca where we have a Discovery Channel video over viewing our training and a “How to Prepare for Ditching” and “Passenger Safety” page that gives basic guidelines and steps people can follow until they are able to take underwater egress training.
John’s Bio
John is a qualified instructor and professional pilot who has been flying since 1976 in both the Canadian military and civil aviation industry. John has over 12,000 hours flying experience and holds an Airline Transport Pilot rating for both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. In addition to his vast experience in over-water flight operations, he is also a certified SCUBA diver.
John’s extensive involvement in aircraft ditching and sea survival training started over 30 years ago when he was a Sea-king Helicopter Crew Commander flying for the Canadian Navy. As a designated Flight Safety Officer, he took part in preparing and delivering this type of training to military flight crew and later to civilian flight crew and passengers.
After completing his service with the military, he was an S76 Captain and Company Aviation Safety Officer for a helicopter commuter airline. John also attended the University of Southern California where he was awarded a Certificate in Aviation Safety. He then accepted a position with Transport Canada as a Regional Aviation Safety Officer using his experience and expertise to promote and deliver safety programs and presentations to the civil aviation industry.
After a tour flying for the Canadian Coast Guard, John, in addition to being Pro Aviation Safety Training’s Chief Instructor, presently flies offshore maritime aerial surveillance missions for Canada’s National Aerial Surveillance Program.
Pro Aviation is proactively involved with our Association and continues to offer and provide the public with safe options and the tools needed, to help alleviate and diminish aviation mishaps.
