Airmen help pilots survive in wilderness

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Grace Lee
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  There are many measures taken to ensure pilots are safe, from detailed jet maintenance to the inspection of the pilot's gear, but on rare occasions the unexpected happens and a plane crashes.

When the pilot safely ejects from the aircraft, the rescue operation process begins, and the pilot needs to survive until being picked up. That's where the Airmen in the 56th Operations Support Squadron Aircrew Flight Equipment survival kits and floatation section step in.

"We maintain and inspect all the survival kits that go into each and every F-16 Fighting Falcon on Luke Air Force Base," said Staff Sgt. Ryan Babauta, 56th OSS AFE craftsman. "When the pilot ejects, the survival kit and the life raft eject with him."

Although it is rare for pilots to need to survive for more than a few hours before being found, they are prepared to survive for longer periods.

"The kit contains survival essentials such as water, matches, a multi-tool, first aid kit, a canteen, signaling devices such as flares, a radio and a locator beacon," said Airman 1st Class Chris Long, 56th OSS AFE journeyman. "It also contains a signaling mirror, sponges, compass, whistle, a space blanket to help retain heat, a survival blanket, which can be used as a shelter, a combat tourniquet, water purification tabs and more."

Pilots and passengers are also taught how to use the survival kit by AFE continuation training instructors prior to them flying or riding in the jet. There is also a survival guide included in the kit that covers the basics from camouflaging oneself to how to make traps and snares to catch animals.

To ensure the kits are in excellent working condition, AFE Airmen meticulously inspect 175 survival kits and life rafts at Luke annually.

"Because almost every component in the kit has an expiration date, we need to not only inspect for overall serviceability of the kit container and its contents, but also make sure the items are functional," Babauta said. "The life raft also undergoes its own inspection with an annual six-hour leakage test to ensure it has no cuts."

"In aircrew flight equipment we keep the pilots alive in three ways --in the aircraft with all their personal gear such as the G-suit and mask, ejecting from the aircraft with a parachute and on the ground with the survival kits," Babauta said. "Those of us in the survival kits and floatation section are the pilots' last leg of survival. They rely on us to provide them with functional survival equipment. Should any of our aircrew go down, they would have their survival equipment and training to keep them alive."