Splash and Dash Searey Seaplane Delights                            Apr 28 2:33 Guest User - Request Membership Layout | Log In | Help | Videos | Site | Emails  Search:   Front Page Calendar Photos Add Photos News Add News File Cabinet Add File Cabinet History Add History * Searey Info * Add * Searey Info * Polls Add Polls Classifieds Add Classifieds Utilities Create a New Site  News View All News | Add News | Emoticons | Mark Unread Search News:      Category: 87,* WANTED ITEMS *, 168,Flying Safety, 118,Flying Stuff, 1254,Sun ""N"" Fun Previous Item - Another New Member This will go to the previous thread in this topic.       Favorite option: If you want this item to be marked as a favorite, click on the black heart.   Inflatable life preservers         Next Item - Interesting WX Prognostics This will go to the next thread in this topic.    David Mazer - Apr 13,2009   Viewers  | Reply     I am looking for the “best” inflatable life preservers for flying. So far, I have found the range of prices from $100 to $350 with <br />various bells and whistles. What I want is comfort, safety, and to pay what it is worth. I am hoping to shop them at SnF and any <br />advice and experience would be appreciated. Thanks          Dave Lima - Apr 14,2009   Viewers  | Reply     I would make sure you get one with a neoprene collar otherwise they are uncomfortable and scratch your neck.          Frank A. Carr - Apr 14,2009   Viewers  | Reply     And one that is not auto-inflating when wet.          Kenneth Leonard - Apr 14,2009   Viewers  | Reply     Most auto-inflating ones are designed to be disabled if you want to. (you just have to remember to do it!)          Randolph Palma - Apr 14,2009   Viewers  | Reply     David,<br />Here is THE best one you could possibly get <a href="http://www.keenzo.com/showproduct.asp?ID=1269765">http://www.keenzo.com/showproduct.asp?ID=1269765</a> this is also the cheapest price I could find for it. A thousand years ago when I flew attack helicopters in the Army I had the unthankful additional duty of being the ALSE Shop Officer. ALSE stands for Aviation Life Support Equipment. Since I was a young (dumb) former paratrooper I had the 'great' idea of seeing if any of this stuff really worked in real time conditions and set about testing a lot of it. I'll spare you all the gory details but just trust me when I tell you that this is the vest you want - here's why :<br /><br />First, yes I know it looks stupid, and yes you will get laughed at when you wear it around on the ramp but it just so happens to be a very essential piece of gear for the type of flying that we do. Consider first the enviroment in which we operate - it's usually a lake or river in the middle of nowhere, after all that's why we gravitate toward seaplanes. Next imagine a water landing that for whatever reason does not go well. Next imagine yourself treading water dazed and in shock as you watch your baby AND EVERYTHING IN IT head for the bottom and or downstream. Lot's of people buy or make survival kits and conviently stash them away in the back of their planes for emergency purposes. That's all fine and well for land plane pilots as they have the LUXURY of picking stuff out the rubble to survive on. If we seaplane guys have a bad day on the water we do not have that luxury and that is why those vests with all the 'stupid' pockets make so very much sense to me. You can have all the PLB's in the world but it won't do you any good if they were in the little side pocket in the plane. I am actually in the process of writting an aritcle for the SPA magazine about survival equipment and will save the rest of my rant and ramble for that. Just get one with pockets 'in my HUMBLE opinion'.<br />Randy          David Mazer - Apr 14,2009   Viewers  | Reply     Thank you all so much for your information. Randy, is your suggestion comfortable to fly in? One of the <br />advantages of the smaller versions is they look more comfortable and out of the way for flying.          Randolph Palma - Apr 14,2009   Viewers  | Reply     David,<br />In all honesty it's not a bit comfortable but it isn't as uncomfortable as I feel when I don't bring it along.          Don Maxwell - Apr 14,2009   Viewers  | Reply     Randy, yours does look funny--um, I mean good. Here's the one I use: <a href="http://www.stearnsflotation.com/dyn_prod.php?k=88284&p=STR4444&view.x=69&view.y=7">http://www.stearnsflotation.com/dyn_prod.php?k=88284&p=STR44<br>44&view.x=69&view.y=7</a> (They can be found for a much lower price.) It's comfortable, though a bit warm in summer--but not really too much warmer than the SOSpenders version, and the pockets are very useful. I carry a PLB in one pocket and a small first aid kit in another.          Randolph Palma - Apr 15,2009   Viewers  | Reply     Don,<br />I used to have one just like that too. It was also made by Stearns but it was orange and made out of nomex. I bought it in Alaska but haven't ever seen one like it anywhere since.          Dennis Scearce - Apr 15,2009   Viewers  | Reply     Looks like there's even room for a couple cans of beer in this one.

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