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Not sure if already shared..but freaking sweet

We did not do that night time water survival with the flashing helmets. :( Not even sure if it's still part of the curriculum. Then again, they were changing stuff when I was finishing up.
 
Dangy said:
We did not do that night time water survival with the flashing helmets. :( Not even sure if it's still part of the curriculum. Then again, they were changing stuff when I was finishing up.
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I think it might be more part of the CAT Other syllabus. I've done it going through NP3 and NP2 at both Jax and NPA. NKX would probably do something similar if they could, but their pool is outside, so it's not really feasible. When I went through as a student in API, they didn't do the night-exercise, but they also didn't have the sweet pool they do now, thanks to Ivan.
 
My class did the API helo dunker yesterday. We did not do the night time exercise shown. We completed 2 dunks without the blacked out goggles and one with them. Still fun stuff.
 
I'm pretty decent swimmer, am comfortable in the water - heck, I was a lifeguard in a younger life. But.... one of the very few things I will NOT miss when my time in Naval Aviation is up is the helo dunker.
 
They started doing the sound and light show at Whidbey ASTC about 10 years ago. Probably the best survival training I've been through. We're now doing the ROBD training in our Sim/OFTs, so you can get all hypoxic while you're doing actual cockpit tasks.
 
Recovering LSO said:
I'm pretty decent swimmer, am comfortable in the water - heck, I was a lifeguard in a younger life. But.... one of the very few things I will NOT miss when my time in Naval Aviation is up is the helo dunker.
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Totally agree. Usually this stuff never bothered me until I had to use the bottle. Flipping upside down on the edge of the pool was NOT fun.
 
xj220 said:
Totally agree. Usually this stuff never bothered me until I had to use the bottle. Flipping upside down on the edge of the pool was NOT fun.
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Man, I loved having the bottle. Turned 'practice drowning' into 'paddle pool scuba'. The Dunker sucks and I'm glad to be done with it, regardless.

Are they still doing the real-live-helo hoist at API? I heard they did away with it for a few years when NASP SAR was disbanded.

 
Starting as a non swimmer I thought the dunker did not live up to the hype, I was more stressed out over completing the mile swim. I actually enjoyed the helo-hoist afternoon floating in the bay. I should mention that my seat mates on the dunker panicked to the point that I looked good. Aircrew school was one of my more enjoyable schools. I went from having a cat like fear of the water to being downright comfortable in it, even with all that gear on.
 
The dunker I can manage, but I hate it nonetheless. Treading water makes me lose sleep in the weeks leading up to it. Fear.

Exactly why in the fuck would I tread water for two whole minutes before remembering my beaded handles were there? I've done that whole event twice so far and this is sort of the dialogue I've got figured out:


It's a dark, stormy night and LTJG Butterball has just successfully egressed his imperiled MH-60....

LTJG Butterball: Gee golly, I know there was a step after Egress in that fangled PCL thangy...

*Butterball treads water for a minute or two while he thinks*

LTJG Butterball: Whew! I'm exhausted! I know there's something else, though...there's SOMETHING...hang on....if I can just catch my breath...

*Butterball proceeds to float face down in the water, thinking*

LTJG Butterball: OH!

*Butterball pulls his beaded handles and lives to fight another day*
 
That's all well and good, until your LPU gets shredded/has a leak/fails to work. They used to tell a story at ASTC about a Coast Guard rescue down in FL. Long story-short, fishing boat sinks and two guys go in the water with zero floatation devices. They drown proof for nearly 48 hours before they're picked up.

It's nice to have options.
 
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