An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 13 of course but you have to train for the worst-case scenario. Taking us through the HUET drills was instructor L/Sea Colm Mulligan. "In a real-life situation it will be chaos," he told us reassuringly! "However, if you can remember not to panic and be aware of your surroundings you will be fine." He then showed us a US Marine Corps video in which a Sikorsky CH-53 helicopter, packed with a platoon of fully kitted-out marines, coming in to land on the deck of a naval vessel got its un- dercarriage caught, stalled and flipped sideways into the sea. The next clip showed one of the survivors telling a HUET course about his experience. He explained how he had lost consciousness and when coming-to found himself in a dark cabin rapidly filling with water, fuel and oil. To survive, he said, he had to overcome the onset of panic, get his bearings, get his body armour and kit off and formulate an exit strategy. He figured out the layout of the helicopter by finding the HMG mounted on the door and managed to get out and get to the surface. Although he had burst his lungs and had broken his back in six places, he had survived. Eleven of his fellow marines didn't make it out. He explained the main lesson to the listening course: "Don't panic and know your surroundings. It may save your life someday." There are several things you have to take into account if an aircraft is going to ditch. Once the aircraft has ditched you must wait until it settles before you unbuckle otherwise you risk being thrown around the cabin, inflicting injury on yourself and others. you must also wait until the cabin has filled with water as this allows the pressure to equalise so you can release the emer- gency exits. "A big 'no' is opening your lifejacket before exiting," L/Sea Mulligan told us. "If the cabin is full of water you'll soon find yourself pinned to the ceiling. On exiting, be aware of debris from the aircraft, inflate your lifejacket, find your crewmates, count off, and inflate the life raft. Now, that doesn't sound too hard, does it?" The training involves seven simulated ditches in the pool. In each situation you have to focus on the same things: bracing for impact; sitting up and assuming the secondary position after im- pact; identifying primary and secondary exit points; avoiding smoke inhalation; cross-cabin exit; exiting in darkness; surfacing for air; and head count. Fixed-wing crews and first timers like me have to hold our breath as the simulator submerges. Helicopter crews use emergency breathing system (EBS) equipment, which gives them up to three minutes of oxygen under water. One surprising thing was the instructor telling us that we shouldn't kick our legs when exiting but only use our arms. However, it soon made sense when he explained that if you used your legs you might kick one of your crewmates in the face as he exits behind you. Our first ditch, as did every other, started off with L/Sea Mulligan giving the warning com- mands: "Ditching! Ditching! Ditching!...Brace! Brace! Brace!" Immediately, the simulator began to descend and as the water started to fill around our feet unwanted feelings of claustrophobia and panic started to arise unsummoned. Our instructors in the simulator with us, CPO Kevin Ferguson and PO Dave O'Brien, could see the panic on our faces. "Lads, just relax. Take a good breath. When the simulator settles look at your surroundings, find your exit, pull the cord and out you go." Sitting beside me was a garda from the Garda Air Support Unit (GASU), who didn't look one bit happy. However, with two No 3 Ops Wing pilots in the front of the simulator playing with the pretend control levers and going through flight procedures as if they were actually flying, you couldn't help but laugh. By the seventh ditching we were finally getting the hang of it. Although, when conducting the cross-cabin drills I was only seconds away from pushing my GASU counterpart out of the way. It's not easy waiting for someone else while you are holding your breath upside down underwater! While this training is a break from regular air operations, all those undergoing it appreciate how vital it is. As students Sgt Hennessy, Sgt Murray and Lt O'Hanlon said: "We are doing more and more operations over water, winching, naval operations, troop deployment. This training is vital and although some people have done it several times, unless you do it regularly you simply won't remember." All the students on the day were in agreement that the Naval Service HUET instructors and the NMCI's environmental pool were top notch. "The HUET simulator is an excellent teaching tool," said Flt Sgt Louis Linnane. "you simply can't teach drills like this in a classroom." For any of our colleagues who operate over water, hopefully the only time you will ever hear "Ditching! Ditching! Ditching!... Brace! Brace! Brace!" will be when undergoing a HUET simulation. However, if you do find yourself in a real-life emergency situation, this vital training could well save your life.

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