PeteSpencer wrote:Trouble is many internet based apparently good value lifejackets are based on the US pacific/gulf market with warm still swell.: (As indeed are cheap liferafts which either don't have a canopy or have a separate lightweight one which has to be erected and attached to raft as a separate action.
Imagine that in even a force three in the North Sea....
Peter
Wide-Body wrote:We have two spinlock manual Life jackets. They have spray hoods (essential) and crotch strap. They are high boyancy version. We wear them with chutes, immersion suits and bone domes.
I have seen a few people wear immersion suits for a short cross channel hop. I have seen many, many more cross the channel the "long way" with nothing more than an old out-of-date lifejacket slung in the back. I am not advocating either approach but the ideal is not always practical. I have seen many two seat aircraft make a long water crossing with just enough space to carry one of the small "cheap" liferafts. Better something than nothing at all.
The problem with a lot of the good safety equipment is that is takes up room and, to be honest, is not practical for a small aircraft. I have seen huge liferafts in 4 seat Pipers that I doubt anyone would be able to get out and inflated before the aircrft went down simply becasue the liferaft was so big and heavy.
Whatever safety equipment is carried, participating in a dunking course (in water at sea temperature) will make you realise why some people carry so much safety equipment and how fragile that perspex and aluminium bubble is when the single engine stops.