This is a great topic about risk management. As former naval flight officer who operated off of aircraft carriers-- I can assure you that flotation equipment may save your life someday--if you have the good sense to take it and use it properly. As with anything else--training counts. I have been through water survival school in the Navy more than once. I have participated in more than one search and rescue (or recovery as the case may be). If you have a vest on and you are in the water--the only thing that will be above water is from your chin up. Try finding that person while you are flying a search pattern at 1000' MSL --virtually impossible. Your survival in that situation will depend on water temperature and time. It will be measured in minutes or hours--not days. If you are wise enough to have a raft you have greatly increased your odds that you will be found and survive. Your survival chances go up tremendously in a raft and your survival time goes up as well-- to days or weeks depending on other factors. A PLB or EPIRB will also increase your odds of being found quickly. The "advice" about flying over the Great Lakes without water survival eqipment IMHO is unwise. You are betting that  you will never have to ditch over water. This bet flies in the face of experience that all of us know to be true. Pilots have ditched over the Great Lakes. Many of them. The real question is will you be one of those pilots and will you survive? The odds are very low that you will have to ditch BUT if you don't have proper equipment you will likely perish. Wishful thinking is not good risk management.

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: vtailjeff <vtailjeff@aol.com>
To: lml <lml@lancaironline.net>
Sent: Tue, Aug 21, 2012 6:53 am
Subject: [LML] Re: Floatation Devices (or full survival gear) flying over the Great Lakes