In a place of sand and scorpions, landlocked and hundreds of miles from an ocean, pilots at Luke Air Force Base are receiving a water survival course as part of their annual Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape course.
Providing relief from the hundred degree heat, pilots dressed in full flight gear are zip-lined into the Silver Wings Pool to simulate being dragged by the strong tides of the ocean. A pilot has to quickly think in this case and must release the parachute before being dragged beneath the water. The possibility of landing in the water and having the parachute land on top of them is a very real scenario, and pilots learn during this course how to calmly find a way out before the parachute entangles and drowns them.
Despite being in a desert, Luke's pilots will likely fly over oceans or lakes when deployed or assigned to other duty locations making the training vital to every pilot trained on base.
"A water landing is always on our minds when we have a water crossing like the Atlantic," said Maj. Bailyn Beck, 309th Fighter Squadron chief of scheduling. "Being in the middle of the ocean, we think about how long we might be out there. However, we always travel with a wingman and someone always knows where we are."
When a pilot ejects from an aircraft, survival gear weighing 30 to 40 pounds and containing basic first aid, water and a small one-man raft also eject with him. There are other items such as smoke flares, a signaling mirror and a radio for communication. During training, pilots learn how to lift their weighted-down body out of the drifting ocean and up into a raft. They also learn how to protect themselves from dehydration and the sun, which are among the many perils of being stranded at sea.
"The sun is very dangerous and it can start burning you within minutes," said Senior Airman Jose Ochoa, 56th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment journeyman. "The sun can start tearing at your skin. That's why there is sun screen in the kits to help."
The sun is not the only danger on the open ocean. Trauma sustained during an ejection such as shock or a cut can lead to death or attract sharks to a pilot's location.
"Any kind of sea life can be dangerous," said Staff Sgt. Branden Rowe, 56th OSS aircrew flight equipment continuation training NCO-in-charge. "Dehydration is another big thing. Going through a traumatic experience like being ejected from an aircraft, your body begins to have cravings. You become thirsty. We teach pilots ways to collect water if they run out of water from their kit."
Once safety and stability in the raft is achieved, training continues with the proper securing of the rescue sling. Pilots are also taught what to do during an airlift rescue. The class ends with a lesson on the use of signaling material such as smoke flares. The pilots learn how to ignite the flare without causing harm to themselves or potentially damaging their raft.
No matter how many times a pilot has completed the course, landing in the water after standing in full gear in the heat is a nice cool down. The pilots tend to have an upbeat attitude during the course and enjoy the training.
"This is my third time going through this, and the course is fun," said Capt. Brent Ellis, 309th Fighter Squadron instructor pilot. "It's a nice break from the office. It's a chance to get out in the pool and get some training accomplished."
Being in the Air Force, Airmen can be sent anywhere in the world at a moment's notice. For pilots, this means it could be a mission over the ocean or an inflight emergency over snow-covered forest, and these pilots must rely on their SERE training to survive.