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<head><Training Keeps Pilots Alive</head>
Training helps keep pilots alive
When Capt. Scott O'Grady's F-16 was shot down in Bosnia, it was life support training that helped him to elude capture, survive and escape from behind enemy lines.
The main goal of life supporttraining is to take care of pilots both in and out of aircraft.
"Pilots are trained in such things as water and arctic survival, and escape and evasion," said TSgt. Ronald Smith, NCO-in-charge of life support for the 94th Fighter Squadron.
Each of these divisions is ready at a moment's notice with the helicopter squadron having a special emphasis on "peacetime search and rescue operations," said Danielson.
The pilot is taken care of through the use of a variety of equipment. First is the basic helmet with mask and visors, and the G-suit a pilot wears, the main purpose of which is to keep the pilot from passing out.
In addition to this, the suit also serves to keep the blood from pooling. A pilot is also equipped with a "horse collar" which is the harness worn.
In the event that a pilot should have to bail out of the plane, a number of other features are provided by life support. There is a survival vest which contains flares, strobe lights, compass, signaling devices, a whistle, a radio with spare batteries and a weapon holster.
In addition to the survival vest, should a pilot eject, a survival kit is deployed along with the parachute. The survival kit includes a raft that automatically inflates upon manseat separation, water, a first aid kit and a reference manual in addition to the equipment included in the survival vest. The kit is
attached to the harness of the parachute and it is the pilot's discretion as to whether or not to keep it.
All of this equipment is broken down and checked every 30 days by life support to ensure that it will function should a pilot ever need it. "Life support is something you hope you never need," said Maj.
Michael Tallent, a 71st FS pilot. "It's a thankless job, but when you glad it's there. It gives you the confidence to know-that if things go bad, that you'll be able to get out alive."
These options are given to pilots through rigorous training in such, things as water survival, desert survival, escape and evasion, and chemical warfare techniques. All of these things are designed to keep the pilot alive and safe until help can arrive. Life support members repeat each of these courses regularly, not only to keep themselves up to date, but to help the pilots as well.
"When a pilot is in egress, we run through everything," said SSgt. Bob Hendrick, a 94th FS life support technician. "We've got to be up-to-date so they can be also. And we have to make sure they know the proper procedures."
