The Aviation Survival Training Center (ASTC) replaced their 15-year-old survival training system with the new 9D6 Multiplace Egress Trainer, Jan. 17. The new system simulates an aircraft crashing and spinning upside-down into a body of water, allowing pilots to practice escaping from a submerged aircraft.

“The new dunker is more versatile than the previous model," said Lt. Cmdr. Becky Bates, director of ASTC.

“Its configuration is more flexible. The new dunk tank has buoyant tanks underneath the dunker that also offer an unpredictable roll, which makes the training more realistic.”

Pat Powers, an engineering technician at ASTC, said the maintenance was becoming too expensive for the old training system. The company who built the old system no longer exists, so the parts were hard to find when they needed to be replaced, he said.

“The old dunk tank was too labor intensive,” said Bates.

“We’re looking forward to lower maintenance issues.”

Bates also said this was the first system installed in the country that has a single arm crane. The arm can now be rotated and places the tank by the pool. Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Cory Swanson, senior dive supervisor, added that this new mobility allows for more convenient poolside maintenance and configuration changes.

Swanson continued to say, this new model also has functioning doors and windows to add to the realism of the escape.

“Swimming out of the old holes [windows and doors] didn’t prepare aircrew as well as the new one does,” said Swanson.

Overall, the purpose of the new egress system is to improve the effectiveness of the training equipment and provide maximum preparation for future air crewmen.

“The training is a big deal, if they didn’t have the training before a mishap they wouldn’t know how to react when the real thing happens,” said Swanson. [ANN Thanks Journalist Seaman Apprentice Mike Leporati, Fleet Public Affairs Center, Pacific]

FMI: www.navy.mil