Course description

This HUET course is suitable for novices. People who are experienced in HUET may also choose this course.
This training is essential for personnel, pilots & crew travelling in a helicopter, over a body of water.

It offers excellent insight into the hazards associated with aircraft ditching into water. The course includes both theoretical sessions covering underwater escape and sea survival, along with practical ‘wet drills’ in our custom-built simulator.

Two of the major contributors of failure to survive in a marine ditching are ‘panic’ and ‘not knowing what to do’.
A HUET course allows you to experience the disorientation associated with overwater ditching in a safe, controlled environment, thus minimising the potential for panic in a real life situation.

People who are experienced in HUET who attend this course may bring and use their own EBS equipment if
they are already trained in its use. People who are new to HUET may not use EBS equipment on this course.

Learning outcomes

• The Pre-flight processes and procedures

• Actions taken in preparation for a helicopter ditching and an emergency landing

• Actions taken following a controlled ditching on water, and evacuation through an opening

• Escaping through an opening which is underwater, from a partially submerged, upright helicopter

• Escaping through an opening which is underwater from a capsized helicopter

• Escaping through an opening on the opposite side of the cabin, underwater, from a capsized helicopter

• Escaping through an opening which is underwater, from a capsized helicopter, with one hand incapacitated

• Escaping through an opening which is underwater from a capsized helicopter in zero visibility

• Inflating an inflatable lifejacket on the water surface

• Demonstrating swimming, towing a casualty, H.E.L.P. and Group Huddle positions

• Boarding a liferaft from the water.

Physical requirements

Physical activities associated with this training course may include, but are not limited to:

• Swimming – moving through the water using your arms while wearing a lifejacket 

• Holding your breath to egress underwater in a helicopter simulator module

• Pulling action on the upper body when climbing in or out of the pool

• Pulling action on the upper body when pulling yourself up and into a liferaft from the water, neck, elbows, wrist, hips & knees.

• Twisting and torquing the upper body

• Towing other persons in the water

Training and/or assessment activities contained within the HUET training include physically demanding and potentially stressful elements. All personnel who participate in such activities must be physically and mentally capable of participating fully.