"Prepare to ditch!"
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- How to ditch in the North Atlantic and probably not die. Maybe.
To read more about my international ferry flying adventures check out my books "Ferry Pilot" and "Dangerous Flights"
Signed copies available at kerrymccauley....
or on Amazon. www.amazon.com...
To go skydiving with Kerry McCauley visit www.skydivetwi...
I was an HC-130 rescue pilot with the NY Air National Guard, and we did A LOT of rescues in the north Atlantic, the best piece of rescue equipment you named was the signal mirror! You would be surprised how far away we can see that reflection from! Second best piece of equipment would be the EPIRB. We can hone in on that with a lot of accuracy with the equipment on an HC-130. It is REALLY hard to visually see anyone in the water from 1000 feet up, even flying right over head, so I would recommend the smoke flares once we are overhead, and depending on the sea state, a dye marker would also be very useful for spotting you!
Wow! One my guardian angels! Yes, I love that signal mirror. We used to play around with them when I was a Huey crew chief in the Minnesota Guard and you're right, you can see them a long way off. It also doesn't ever run out of batteries. I am thinking about getting some dye markers. You can't have too much stuff to signal with. Thanks for being out there for us! I never needed you but it was good to know we could count on you!
Hi Greg thank you for sharing. Can you recommend a satellite location beacon or a PLB device?
Signal mirror....100 percent!!! Yr cellphone screen works much th same way...but it does absorb alot of sunlight
@@RaulEdu33 Any EPIRB on the market will work. West Marine has a good selection.
Great video Kerry liked all the info & details had many questions but already answered in video awesome keep going ! Lol and waiting for a dangerous flight episode 😅
You are so right! I was litterally blown away about 5-6 years ago when a WWII P-47 Thunderbolt performing some flyby's over NY Harbor and lost his engine. Guy did a splendid job ditching it but got caught up in his harnes or some other object in the cockpit and drowned going down in the plane. You would think a single cockpit with a sliding canopy would be the BEST possible situation, just undo your seat belt and stand up and out of the cockpit being it is upright and he was upright. The HUGE engine and prop pulled the nose down very quick. What an ironic ending, beautiful, sunshiney day, harbor was smooth, if any ditching was survivable, this should have been it, but ironically, it was his time to go! RIP! Great report and valuable insight, THX!
Yep, you have to be really careful about snag factor when getting out. That's why I'm probably not going to use a vest.
and always carry a belt cutter or fold-able knife where legal (a lot of countries any form of foldable knives are completely illegal tho
@@KerryDMcCauley
Ditched 2 months ago in the pacific. Managed to get out an accurate position report. Doors all open . Fixed undercarriage but didnt flip. Plane sunk in less than a minute. Survived the impact and all 4 passengers out. Deployed liferaft and epirb and 6 hours later was rescued. Even tho it was 3 meter swells it was warm pacific so all survived.
Wow - would love to hear more about that event! What caused the engine to stop?
@dermick fuel starvation...with 90 minutes of fuel in the tanks. Plane is 2km down. So wll never really know. It's always gonna bug me.
@@safa4786 Thanks for sharing. That's a tough one. I'm happy to hear you guys all got out ok. Must have been a long 6 hours!
@@dermick it was. Cold and very wet. But the sight of the plane that found us( after one.missed us flying directly overhead) will never be forgotten. !!!
Hope yer kidding, but suspect You're not. Glad your ok
Kerry, I read your two books and really enjoyed them. As well, thanks for this excellent video.
Another thing that I would add is dye marker. Its a packet of colored powder about the size of your fist that you can throw into the water and it colors the sea water a bright orange or whatever bright color other than the ocean water and can easily be seen from above.
Airliners crossing water carry it in their life rafts.
Thanks John, that's not a bad idea. I might pick one up. It probably wouldn't fit in my main ocean survival kit but it would fit in my luxury bag.
I wear my flight helmet when doing over water flights. You can’t exit the plane if you’re out cold. Agree with all and I’m surprised how many pilots launch without planning for the worst. I’ve crossed the Tasman Ocean seven times and was ferrying a C400 TTX to New Zealand when I had an engine oil over temp situation. Shit gets real really fast…
True about the ditchbag. What you don't have on you is unlikely to go with you. My plane sank in less than a minute. Had a lifevest on with a Lazer torch and waterproof torch in the pockets. Managed to save a bag that fortunately had tomatoes in it. That was our watersupply.
Wow, I'd love to hear about it sometime. Would you be to being interviewed?
@KerryDMcCauley absolutely. Let me know when suits you.
@KerryDMcCauley I'd like to send you some pics. They emphasize that without a raft, you are dead. No chance of ever being seen. Just a tiny orange speck in a massive ocean. Yr points here are brilliant. Sharing yr vid with all pilots in the islands of the pacific.
Great video, definitely makes you rethink what survival gear you have onboard the aircraft. Very well could save your life one day.
I'll be making a video about my worldwid survival kit soon!
Very informative video! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas!
This is an aspect of aviation that I know nothing about, really interesting. I really enjoy all the details you throw in. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you liked it!
Something else you could add to the survival bag is a credit card. Seems a bit of a weird one but if you end up in a foreign country, it will be hard to get hold of money so a credit card can be really handy (ideally visa/mastercard if you're flying around non-US territories cos most places don't accept AmEx) because while you can get a replacement passport sent to you, most banks won't send a card to anywhere but your registered address plus that can take time to arrive. Shipping uses a higher frequency than aviation. The distress channel (ch16) is 156.80MHz so if your radio will reach that, you will be able to use that channel though it is unlikely to have more than 100miles range and I would think that your aircraft radio may be restricted to 118-137MHz and shipping is 156-174MHz. The personal EPIRB and assuming that radio is submersively waterproof, would be handy as a herc can manage the comms to shipping. Not used a sat phone in a while but my recollection is that the aerials can be a bit fickle. That might not be so bad now theres many more satellites up there. Can the flares, water and other essentials be packed in with the liferaft so there's only 1 item to get and you can put some luxuries in with your drysuit bag? I belive liferafts typically have things like water stills and other emergency suypplies packed inside them. Something else that can be really handy for the raft is a scoup (for water rather than in case you fancy an ice cream) and a sponge. Often bigger race yachts will carry 2 liferafts so they are easier to deploy than 1 larger heavier one. On the sydney-hobart race in 1998, one of these yachts sank and the crew had to get into the liferafts. The one where they kept it all as dry as possible inside, everyone survived but the one where they didn't and just lay there waiting, had fatalities and the survivors were all in much worse shape. Seems an odd thing again, especially with a good survival suit, but keeping the liferaft dry can have a big impact on survival
Good idea. My credit card is in my phone case. I should add the passport though!
@@KerryDMcCauley hope you never need to use it!
That's why RAF pilots carry gold sovereigns in time of war
Dam single engine crossing you do is impressive
You said land perpendicular to the swells. Don’t you mean parallel? In 1975 I ferried brand new single engine Cessnas-just domestically. The company was one of the biggest:Floair. The twin Cessnas were ferried all over the world. Those pilots were the most seasoned, and had many stories. I applaud you for doing what you do. I get nervous flying my bonanza from Ft. Lauderdale to Bimini-just 60 miles🤪. My first time crossing the North Atlantic, was in a twin. At first I was nervous. However, my twin was a Boeing 767-300😜. 650 crossings, and I never ditched🙏🏻
I thought I said don't land perpendicular to the swells. Probably misspoke, I'll have to watch it again.
8 minutes in. But great story thanks.
Thank you Kerry. Excelent Vlog!
I modified/shortened a fishing vest, equipt it and wear it on every flight. Onerlend or overwater, with variations of safety gear accordingly. I see ill not fly without it. Build good habits.
Love these videos. More please!
Wow, I hope the pay is good. Good briefing.
Back in the 90's it was about $1000 for a trip from the US to Europe.
You’ll need a marine capable VHF to call a ships, but it would be really useful to have it if ditching. All ships monitor channel 16 at 156.8 MHz (FM) so your radio needs to be able to cover this. Maybe an extra handheld in the luxury ditch bag, they are just a few hundred bucks. Marine VHf coverage is basically what you can see with your eyes, but as it is not possible to call a ship via satellite phone (unless you know their number and it is connected) this is a vital device at open sea.
You're correct but I've never met a ferry pilot who has one. I'd love to have one with me but I probably never will just due to the cost and space. It would still be nice to have one if you ever needed it!
Yes to the marine handheld radio, so you can coordinate with the ship picking you up.
Yes to the cell phone, so you can call your mom when you get near shore.
Yes to a credit or debit card, you will need money when you reach land.
Yes to some form of ID, you can’t get on an airplane without it.
Yes to a house key or car key, so you can get into your house or car when you get home (and a spare house key in your car, and a spare car key in your house)
Assuming you survive
Thanks for this very informative video! One thing about life raft: I thought same as you: The bigger the better! But during a sea survival training from AOPA here in Germany we were told that the life raft shouldn’t be too big, because it can become unstable and flip (in strong wind, e.g.). Buoyancy is too big when there’s only one person in a 6 man (or even bigger) raft.
Very important point, tying the raft to something, not just throw it!! They told us to tie the raft to the aircraft, not to you or another person. That’s different from what you say.
The line that you use to tie and trigger the raft is supposed to break off before the plane or boat sinks, so it does not sink the raft as well.
You are correct about the raft not being too big due to the flip in strong winds factor. Also if the raft is too big it would be difficult to get out of the plane. I usually carried a 4 man raft but would take a 6 man if I had room, nothing bigger. I don't know about tying the raft to the plane though. I'm not sure I'd trust the line to break when the plane went down. Plus unless you're in a fixed gear plane like a Cessna it might be hard to find anything on the aircraft to tie off to.
@KerryDMcCauley really heavy. But they do float ( uninflated)
What about a gun for when the ocean wildlife come exploring? Especially if you see a fin out of the water
Wow! Legend have personal channel, immediately subscribed.
I’m not a pilot but I was wondering if it’s possible to put the plane on autopilot and parachute out of the plane maybe tied to a large life raft
As a skydiver I've always wanted to find a good way of doing that. So far I haven't. Good thinking though!
Test all potential 'survival equipment' prior to Needing to use it in a survival condition. Goto a lake inflate the raft, get all your stuff into it then see how hard it is to use. In a real emergency you don't want to be trying to read instructions. Ditto for anything you are carrying for a land-based ditching as well. Take it all on an overnight camp and you'll quickly see what has value and what doesn't.
Excellent Rowan!
The problem with that is once the raft has been inflated it has to go back to the factory to be re-packed. Better nto go to an ocan survival course like the one I was lucky enough to attend in Iceland.
I asked the manufacturer or dealer of the raft if I can inflate it and get hands-on training just before the re-pack. They said not to do it, a repair had to be done then.
“When the unexpected happens are you going to have excess work load capacity. ” - Roger E. Smith, renowned Canadian test pilot
I would like to read a book about all the ferry pilots that drowned in the sea.
I might have to write about that. I have information about the three pilots the company I worked for lost back in the 90's.
I would include the flares and leave them with the airplane after delivery. The small cost could be included with the delivery fees.
I believe the USCG publishes an AMVER report. Automated Merchant Vessel Emergency Response or something similar where vessels report their position for just such emergencies.
I have done that and I'll look up that AMVER report thing. I've always wondered if ther was such a thing.
Good calls Captain. I flew survey offshore in a Cardinal RG and we had everything packed and ready just like you advise. FYI, if the windshield does not break like the 182 lady, you are waiting for the cabin to fill with water, pressure equalize, and then you can get out. No survival suit needed for Texas and Louisiana area.
Have you tried to get into the raft with your survival kit inside your survival suit? It maybe worth trying.
I haven't yet, but that's a really good question! My survival kit inside my suit is about the size of a football and I don't expect to have any trouble. That is if I'm uninjured and the waves are not too big. Or it's both plus night. Or, or, or . . . That's pretty much my thought process over the years. I keep thinking up problems I might run into and try and solve them.
Very good video on this topic - thank you. Wished I saw this five years ago. Meanwhile I crossed the pond three times in my RV-8 which is sure not ideal for ditching, would prefer a Mooney or Cirrus for it. I came up basically with the same equipment plus a satellite tracker and same thought on the live raft. What I did additionally is make the plane buoyant with foam in the wings so it would not sink and so stayes with me enabling me to retrieve my emergency equipment without time pressure. I also had a breathing tube attached to the mouthpiece of a snorkel for some breathing when the airplane flips (what I would expect with great probability). Helmet just in case I bang the head on the frame knocking me out - also for insulation against the cold. Don´t ask me why I did this in the first place! But it was very rewarding!
Three times in an RV8?! Wow! That would be cool to hear more about that.
Good point on using a helmet. A helmet and shoulder straps would probably save a lot of lives over land or water.
I'd love a helmet but I'm usually so limited on space that it would be tough. (I count how many pairs of underwear I think I really need on a ferry flight).
That's the other aspect of this you have to figure in all the weight that you're carrying for this gear for its cost on your fuel quantity to reach your destination
Sky I have seen your great videos. I own an -8 as well and always thought if I had the where with all, I would land with one wheel hitting the water first letting the a/c cartwheel hoping it would not flip. Have seen WWII vids with a/c ditching next to an aircraft carrier landing that way with gear extended and a/c ending right side up.
Good point on landing on one wheel, thought about this too. My plan was to land with flaps at 20 only and accept a very slightly higher speed on touchdown but so having more elevator authority although my loaded plane´s C/G is aft already.
I thought you wear your survival suit while in flight? I would think it’s easier than after crash trying to get dressed.🧐
The really good ones can't be worn in flight because the gloves are like oven mitts.
4:15 laugh till almost choke 4:22 😂
That AT2020 mic is facing away from you! It's a cardioid pattern. It will have "Back" printed on the side you need to face away from you.
You are correct! I messed up.
@@KerryDMcCauley no worries, your stories are just so good that I want to make sure everyone can hear them well!
turn the fishing vest inside out?
The pc12 is arguably one of the safest planes in the world
I’m really enjoying your videos. Keep them coming! I also wanted to pass on a request/recommendation to get your books on Audible. I know I’ll be getting them as soon as they do. Thanks!
I'm working on them as we speak!
Hope I never have to ditch!
Why not a garmin in reach ?
Kerry, I enjoyed your book, ferry pilots and single handed sailors have always fascinated me.
Have you read Smokey Yunicks bio? What a life that guy lived , great stories about ferrying B17’s over the Himalayas to Formosa .
Just a bit of constructive criticism (as a recording engineer) get that mic oriented better with the front capsule closer to you and aimed directly at your mouth, the way its set up the cardiod pattern is getting all room reflection.
A Heil mic with off axis rejection would suit your needs better(co designed by Joe Walsh of the Eagles) or even a shure sm58 which rejects room noise better (doesn’t look as cool, works better)
Anyway thanks for the content, love the vicarious high adventure!
Thanks, I'll check that book out. Yes, my audio sucks. I'm working on it!
@@KerryDMcCauley it doesn’t suck, it just needs tweaking. You probably don’t want to get that mic in front of your face but that’s where it needs to be to get you and not room reflections. A cardiod picks up a significant amount of signal from the back and sides of the mic, A Heil pr40 is designed to reject everything 180 degrees off axis, as is a shure sm7b , thats why they are so popular among podcasters.(also why you see a lot of people in side profile)
A shure sm58 is a lot less expensive and has the same capsule as an sm7b, these mics work well in rooms with a lot of reflection, which is your case, the right mic does away with the need for room treatment to a degree.
Never thought about a flask.
Think thats a great idea!!!
Got to keep your "sprits" up!
100 miles? Depends on whose SRR you're in.
Rescue 936 (S-92A) from Caernarfon did a job 280nm West of Ireland in 2016.
One of 751's rescue AW101 from the Azores did a job that was most of the way to Canada.
th-cam.com/video/Pz1OcZsfFg8/w-d-xo.html
Your PLB beeps on Air Guard 121.5 every couple of seconds, so air band is kinda covered. A survival craft portable radio would have the marine emergency channel 16 and maybe a small number of SAR or ship-to-ship channels. Normally, one would expect SAR aircraft to be able to direction find on 121.5 or CH16.
Modern LED 'flares' are the 'airline-proof' alternative to pyrotechnics.
Happy to find your site. Loved your book "Ferry Pilot"
Glad you liked it!
Great video. I did an underwater egress course a number of years ago and highly recommend it. It was challenging even in a nice indoor swimming pool. Doing it for real in the ocean would be a completely different matter.
Very good advice for anyone flying across water in a GA - nice one kerry
Glad you enjoyed it
sea marker dye, if you didn't mention it. Pop one before raft entry, in the event you don't make it inside. (God forbid) Try to time the flight for maximum daylight search, in the event of ditching. A wick free solar still, may be on the market soon, which would be a great raft upgrade. However the epirb will likely make it so you don't need it.
I'm thinking about getting some dye markers. Belt and suspenders you know. I've also been thinking about solar stills for years, not only for ferry flying but offshore sailing. Planning on crossing the Pacific in a few years.
You can buy an ALSE vest pretty cheap online. Also, may be too involved, you could mail the flares back to the US.. Great info I hope I never have to use 😉
I would suggest instead of a knife, a keyhole/punch/drywall saw as a general in the plane item. Its like a dagger, but one long side is a crosscut saw. A knife wont help you deal with anything wood, and the saw will do nasty things to anything made of meat. i havent tried it on cordage so you would want to test that.
Thank You, that's some vital information for a guy like me, who lives inland and has no porspect to either sailing on nor flyinfg over the atlantic.
Fantastic Kerry. Your knowledge is is bountiful, thank you for sharing!
Don’t know if that’s an iPhone you have or not, Kerry, but is the new satellite SOS functionality in the iPhone something you’ve investigated using instead of having an actual satellite phone now?
I haven't heard about that but I'll check it out!
Super interesting video!! You will probably save someone’s (or several people) life with this information and your input. Keep ‘em coming!
A Closed Cell Foam Sleeping Pad, (the accordian folding versions are the smallest) float and will insulate you if you are sitting on it in the Raft.
Good idea !
This is excellent, thank you Kerry!!!!!
Glad you liked it. Stay tuned, I've got more coming!
@KerryDMcCauley … Not a pilot, but worked on the water for 10 years and went through U. S. C. G. Survival training more than once. You have to give it a good think before you don your suit inside. The buoyancy of the suit will kill you if the only egress is below you in the water. Maybe get your feet, legs and butt in it and save the rest for later. You should be training donning the suit in the water in case it comes to that. Second, I would be bringing a helmet on every crossing to wear for the water landing only. If you get knocked out it’s over. Stay safe!
I don't know. It's pretty hard to get the suit on standing on the ramp. It might hard to do in the water while hanging onto the raft. Plus you'd be instantly cold and wet and it has the same buoyancy wether it's half on or not, just more snag factor. The helmet is a good idea though.
Kerry I gotta say I love your channel.. I used to watch the show you were on. I found your channel yesterday after watching videos on TNFLYGIRL and glad to find your channel. You got some good advice and stories.
Welcome aboard!
Awesome video! Preparation is everything.
Garmin inreach & greatland laser for ground to air signal what about a strobe
Interesting video. Does it make sense to fly along shipping routes? Also, sounds like a very good idea to be not only on 121.5 but on 156.8.
Not many shipping routes in the North Atlantic. Good thinking though.
Well, I am certainly happy to see that Kerry is still around, I remember watching him on I believe the Discovery channel like 10 years ago or so. I can't remember but I think it was about ferry flights. Certainly a dangerous profession.
The show is called "Dangerous Flights" and is out on TH-cam so you can still watch it. My second book is also called Dangerous Flights and is about my time on the show.
Thank you for the informative video. Only ex RC pilot and aviation geek using once and a while useful info to save people. Most important in emergencies: keep your head cool and only run when you have to
Glad you enjoyed it!
First. 0:31
Thank you for sharing
You bet!
Well done! I’d be inclined to also wear a manually inflatable PFD in the event of separation from the raft…out of respect for Mr. Murphy.
Contents of the luxury bag besides more food and water???
Warm jacket, fishing gear, book, first aid kit. Stuff like that.
I was thinking 2nd flask, harmonica, beef jerky, and a box large size hand warmers!
Id worry about those. They are moisture activated. With all of that extra moisture around I'd worry about them getting too hot.
Absolutely fantastic and highly educational video. Thanks for taking the time to post. Especially like the idea of the "flask"!
You have to keep your "Spirits" up!
Green laser can be seen 20 miles away. It is very easy to point, they are small. Very effective- even in daylight.
I first picked one up at the night market in Chang Mai Thailand on a ferry trip. I haven't flown without one since.
hi Kerry. I stumbled over your channel. Remember seeing you in a tv show doing ferry flying.
It’s interesting to hear your thoughts on which raft you use. I get it big raft is a good idea to have big raft. But isn’t very heavy? I love sailing and do offshore racing. And on some races we have to carry a raft and I’m kidding you not they are heavy. So when you chose a raft A size B heavy C if you kick open the raft don’t do it in the aircraft :-). And I think idea to tigh the raft to your body is interesting, you know that raft can sink 50 feet before it will open and blow up.
Keep up the good work. The show stoped showing in Sweden remember your doter flying with you did she get into the ferry flying business?
When I say the biggest raft I can get I mean like a 4 or 6 man raft vs. a solo. Claire didn't get into the ferry business. She's a skydiving instructor in California.
@@KerryDMcCauley I’ve always wondered of the size and wight of a aircraft raft. PS good for your dotter Claire…
You're extremely thorough in your explanations, and I appreciate that.
Glad you think so!
Why on earth are you guys forced to fly single engine planes on such treacherous routes ? Is life that cheap in those parts ?
No one forces us to do it. Some do it for the money, some for the adventure. We just have a higher risk tolerance than most.
Really excellent video. Loved those video clips you inserted.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent video on this topic.
I think there is a yaesu handheld you can jail break so it receives and transmits on marine and aviation bands
Thanks, I'll look into it!
If it ain't waterproof....it dies.
I have everything in double ziploc bags.
Do you plan on using it in the ziplock bag?
I ordered a waterproof Lazer. 59 dollars..
@@RowanHawkins hahaha...funny
@RowanHawkins double zip lock is worth the effort. I have 5000 hours...and my first engine failure was 2 months ago. YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO PREPAIRED. TREAT EVERY FLIGHT LIKE ITS GONNA HAPPEN.
I was involved in a ditching scenario the other day. Pilot reported the door of the Cessna 207 was impossible to open due water pressure. He (like the others) exited out the rear "cargo" doors.
Another reason to crack the door before ditching.
Agree but the door had been cracked prior to the water landing however it was impossible to open.@@KerryDMcCauley
Most people have no idea how hard it is to get into a raft in open water, great video!
Ok, I am ready to begin as a Ferry Pilot. Where do I start?
Become an airline pilot, it pays more crossing the Atlantic: $300/ hr X 9 hrs.
@@jcheck6 Been there, done that(ACA- CRJs) @ 59 that option is no longer open to me. Thanks
What about Flex Seal? 🥳
Not sure, I wonder if it would work on wet rubber. Not sure anything works on wet rubber for that matter.