RESCUING CRASHED PILOTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 December 1944, Page 8

RESCUING CRASHED PILOTS

; HINTS FOR CIVILIANS Compared with the number of aircraft in the air, the R.N.Z.A.F. lias , 1 few crashes and accidents. That low ’(figure can stand favourable comt parison with any other air force in lithe world. It is related io wgid flying .(rules and efficient maintenance. But, , an occasional accident does happen, > and what is more, there is also a ; chance that a member of the general public might have, the opportunity of , rescuing the pilot. Several outstand- . ing examples of heroism have al- ; ready been displayed in that connection. In a case at Gisborne, Mr. M. L. ■ Holden, a farmer, received the ; George Medal for rescuing Flying ; Officer D. J. Nilsson from a burning ; I aircraft which crashed on his pro- ■ I party. ; It has been considered advisable, therefore, that the general public should be told about the operation of several devices on aircraft. No hard and fast rules can be laid down, because there are many types of aircraft, and similarly, there are many kinds of accidents. But, the first task Jof a would-be rescuer is to obtain [access to the person of persons in the crashed machine. All the canopy tops used on air- ! craft in New Zealand slide backwards. That can be taken as a general rule. To release the canopy there is always an external button or lever which is clearly labelled. A crash, however, might make the catch unserviceable. ' If the canopy will not slide backwards, the rescuer must break his way into (he aircraft. UNBREAKABLE WINDSCREEN It is a waste of time trying to break the windscreen on the front of a modern operational aircraft. The windscreen is made of bullet proof glass and takes some breaking. The perspex on the side of the canopy is more vulnerable and can be kicked through, taking care of course, not to injure the person inside. When I broken, the perspex has jagged edges and to give a safe clearance a large opening has to be made. The pilot of a fighter aircraft will be strapped into his seat by a harness. That also applies to training aircraft. The harness can all be undone with one pin or lever, but the very .simplicity of the contraption tends to make it appear complicated. One type of harness commonly used in New Zealand —Corsairs are an example—has a short metal lever which, if pulled over, will release all the straps. Another type is called the Sutton safety harness. It is to be found in aircraft of the Tiger Moth type. The harness can be released merely by pulling out a triangular wire clip. It holds a pin securing the straps together. Even after a pilot has been released .from his seat, his parachute pack might make it impossible to remove him from the aircraft. Again, the rescuer might be confused by the apparent complicated nature of the straps. But parachutes, like sent harness, are made so that the wearer can get clear of them quickly. A large round metal disc appears on the front of the wearer. It has to be turned to the right or clockwise and then pressed in. Those directions appear on the disc itself. If the occupants of an aircraft have been injured, they should be taken at, least 40 yards from the scene of the crash and covered with coats to keep them warm. The petrol tanks or oxygen cylinders might explode. If the'aircraft is not already on fire, the danger from that possibility is still present. No naked flame should loe taken anywhere near the scene of the accident. That definitely applies to the striking of matches. Water should not be put on a petrol fire. Fire extinguishers are standard equipment in aircraft. HARMLESS BULLETS Contrary to general belief, the explosion of live ammunition in a burning aircraft is not very dangerous. Bullets blown from the cartridge cases have very little velocity or powers of penetration. Often the cases explode with the bullets still attached. It is important, however, not to get«in front of the aircraft in case some of the guns are loaded. Bullets from the guns do have velocity and powers of penetration. Extensive precautions have been taken by the R.N.Z.A.F. to handle aircraft crashes and accidents. All flying stations have well drilled fire and crash crews, as well as ambulances and medical personnel. In fact, on an operational air station the crash tender is usually under way before a crash takes place; the crew is so wc-ll drilled that an accident is anticipated. Should The remote chance occur however, when an accident happens well away from an air station it is important, for any wouldbe rescuer to remember that the two points to bear in mind are prompt action and common sense.