No more helo hoist

[Godspeed]

I'm with schoolbubba on this one. The pool is great at giving you practice of the basic mechanics, but doesn't hold a candle to floating out in the bay with the rotorwash blasting water in your eyes, and the cable swinging all over the place. Kinda like flying in the sim vs. doing it for real. Great training, but just not the real thing.

 

[Gatordev]

3710 says you're supposed to have an LPU if you're flying overwater, or w/in 1000 ft of the shoreline. TW-6 and TW-4 course rules, OLFs and the patterns for NASP and NASCC are over water or very close; TW-5 don't commonly go over water, so why bother w/ the fuss and maint of LPUs?

For times when you do fly over water. The PAR at NPA is used regularly and it sends you out a ways. Also for trips to the Keys, like I mentioned.

When I was wearing LPUs and life rafts, I wasn't in a CNATRA bird, so there were other considerations.

 

[BACONATOR]

For times when you do fly over water. The PAR at NPA is used regularly and it sends you out a ways. Also for trips to the Keys, like I mentioned.

When I was wearing LPUs and life rafts, I wasn't in a CNATRA bird, so there were other considerations.

People always try to sea-lawyer their way into a dry vest. Honestly, whenever I had a syllabus flight, on my INAV/VNAV solo, and whenever I observed solos, if we went to Panama city, I wore a wet vest.

I had solo studs go "well, we'll be flying along the shoreline of the East bay, so TEEECHNICALLY we're over land". I politely suggested wet vests.

My justification is that I'd rather be a little more uncomfortable with the LPU in the cockpit and not need it, than to be a bit more comfortable with a lighter vest and then be floating in the East Bay or in the Gulf wishing I'd had my LPU as I'm treading water. Sometimes it's VERY clear when you step back and realize what you're arguing about.

 

[C420sailor]

Is it really that much more comfy to wear a dry vest? I only notice the LPU lobes when I'm digging for my lower parachute connectors. And the upper lobes keep the harness straps off my neck.

 

[Gatordev]

My justification is that I'd rather be a little more uncomfortable with the LPU in the cockpit and not need it, than to be a bit more comfortable with a lighter vest and then be floating in the East Bay or in the Gulf wishing I'd had my LPU as I'm treading water. Sometimes it's VERY clear when you step back and realize what you're arguing about.

It's been a long time since I've been in a -57, but when I wore a wet vest in one as a stud (w/ the old LPUs, which I believe are what's on the CMUs in the TRACOM), there was more room than in the T-34. I'd rather have full control ability and use my helmet as a flotation device than have limited control ability on the statistically low probability of the engine dying on me.

It's even less of a concern of mine when flying w/ a SAR asset (or even a Dash 2), but I know that's not a reality at the TRACOM.

Is it really that much more comfy to wear a dry vest?

Yes.

 

[Pags]

I had solo studs go "well, we'll be flying along the shoreline of the East bay, so TEEECHNICALLY we're over land". I politely suggested wet vests.

Just need to stay with in autorotative distance of land.

 

[BACONATOR]

Just need to stay with in autorotative distance of land.

And land on some dude's house, or in the trees beyond? Probably a lot less injuries ditching in the shallow water offshore.

 

[Pags]

And land on some dude's house, or in the trees beyond? Probably a lot less injuries ditching in the shallow water offshore.

Beach.

 

[BACONATOR]

Beach.

I was speaking about the particular route to Panama City from South field. IIRC, the beaches were either non-existent or less than favorable along a certain part of the course rules.

Regardless, my point was that in the -57 or even the T-34 where my controllability of the aircraft wasn't inhibited (any more than it was without ), I'd rather have the LPU and not need it than not have it and be wishing for it.

 

[jollygreen07]

Somehow I still think a summer flying in Corpus was still far hotter than flying this last summer in Meridian with twice as much gear (and a similar quality air con system while on deck/ground idle).

Yeah... Whenever i'd try to relate to the air force pukes I flew with just how miserable flying the T-34 in the summer was, they'd just roll their eyes and make some snide remark about how antiquated our shit is... I would agree with them most of the time.

It was a big paradigm shift to go from rushing to get the engines started (T-34) to rushing to get the Aux cool started (T-1)...