buttocks must be well back into the harness seat
at all times. After you have entered the water
release your parachute harness and get out of it;
in the water the parachute can quickly become
y o u r w o r s t e n e m y . I t c a n e a s i l y d r a g y ou
under and cause you to drown; therefore, it is
important for you to get out of your harness as
quickly as possible.
To remove the harness, place your right hand
between your body and the right main sling (fig.
5-18); turn 90 degrees to the left and roll out of
the harness (fig. 5-19).
A fact that may not be obvious is that when
you bail out of any aircraft equipped with
multiplace life rafts, such as the P-3, you will
not have a life raft available when you reach
the surface. Even if the life rafts are jettisoned
before bailout, your chance of landing close to
one is very remote; therefore, you will have to
depend entirely on your life preserver for
flotation.
Life Rafts
Naval aircraft are required to carry enough life
rafts to meet the needs of the aircrewmen in the
event of a crash landing at sea. Some aircraft carry
the LR-1, a one-man life raft designed to be
c a r r i e d i n a s o f t p a c k o r a s e a t s u r v i v al
kit (SKU and RSSK), and the helo backpack.
Figure 5-18.—Aircrewman placing right hand between body and right main sling.
5-12
