Us/west F/a's Pass Ditching Exercise

[UWCactus]

Passing the ditching exercise is a test of preparing the cabin for a ditching in 15 minutes, an evacuation with a real slide and then drilling on emergency equipment on slide rafts on use, operation, duration, etc.

The schedule for Hawaii won't allow for a high yield turn day, but more like a 11 or 12 credit hour 3day, because of the schedule. So it will probably result in a 30 hour layover in both Maui and Honolulu for now.

 

[luvthe9]

Good job guys and gals, enjoy the islands!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[heyray]

Aloha and congrats to the US/West team on a job well done! I wittnessed HA's certification on their 76's, and I know that it was no easy feat for you all. Hat s off to you! Pat yourselves on the back!

Much Mahalo from the US/East team,
Aloha

 

[FWAAA]

I'm glad that the crews passed the test, but does anyone else see the test itself as a complete waste of time? What are the odds that an airliner in trouble is able to actually "land" in a smooth ditching and then float long enough to evacuate the survivors into the rafts? Looks to me like a waste of time and money. 737s and 757s aren't flying boats, and in the unlikely event a controlled ditching occurs, the airplane is unlikely to stay on the surface long enough to make any of the preparation worthwhile.

Anyway, good news they passed.

 

[hp_fa]

I'm glad that the crews passed the test, but does anyone else see the test itself as a complete waste of time? What are the odds that an airliner in trouble is able to actually "land" in a smooth ditching and then float long enough to evacuate the survivors into the rafts? Looks to me like a waste of time and money. 737s and 757s aren't flying boats, and in the unlikely event a controlled ditching occurs, the airplane is unlikely to stay on the surface long enough to make any of the preparation worthwhile.

Anyway, good news they passed.

90 seconds is all that is needed. There is a very good chance that a controlled ditching will give you that long.

 

[tahitigirl]

I'm glad that the crews passed the test, but does anyone else see the test itself as a complete waste of time? What are the odds that an airliner in trouble is able to actually "land" in a smooth ditching and then float long enough to evacuate the survivors into the rafts? Looks to me like a waste of time and money. 737s and 757s aren't flying boats, and in the unlikely event a controlled ditching occurs, the airplane is unlikely to stay on the surface long enough to make any of the preparation worthwhile.

Anyway, good news they passed.

It is not a waste, without it there would be no flights to Hawaii.

Anyone who has flown long haul over water knows the deal. Yes it is very unlikely to survive an aircraft ditching, but without training on how to use EOW equipment you would have no chance at all.

 

[BoeingBoy]

It is not a waste, without it there would be no flights to Hawaii.

To some degree, it is just "putting check marks in the boxes". But a ditching is just another off-airport landing in many respects, and being in the water a demonstration of knowledge and use of the various water survival gear is in order.

It always amuses me when we see the ditching presentation in recurrent pilot training - burn off excess fuel for better buoyancy, establish a minimum sink rate to touchdown, "land" parallel to the swells, etc. My question has always been "If we have engine power for all that, why are we ditching?" The only scenerio I can see that requires ditching with engine thrust available is a fuel leak/low fuel situation where you can't make land - a controlled ditching would be preferable.

But it puts the check mark in the square, and thus keeps the FAA happy.

Jim