attn: Flight Surgeons

[LisaB]

Can anybody that has been though the Air Force flight surgery school answer this question I have. During the end of the Aerospace medicine course, you have what is called SERE survival training, which has a water survival test. when you perform these test, will you have a life preserver on?, and what type of swimming skills do you need to be a flight surgeon. Thanks.

Lisa Burnstein.

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[Spang]

Lisa:

I can help you, kind of. First of all I'm not a FS, but a pilot, and not in the Air Force, but Navy. The water survival school is a couple of days long (actually it's Flight Phys and Water Survival together) and the requirements are different for initial than for refresher (every 4-5 years). Initial for us included a mile swim in flight suit and boots, 50 yard underwater swim following a 10 (?) meter tower jump. Then there is the array of dunking devices, helo hoist, ejection seat, helo dunker etc.

SERE is Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape training which is totally different. This is done in the woods and involves, well let's just say it involves other thing than swimming.

Hope this helps a little, maybe it'll get the thread primed and an AF FS can give you the real gouge.

Spang

 

[peiyueng]

Lisa,
I am in the AF, and I did SERE during the summer of 1999 (SAM). It included a short water survival training (one whole afternoon). You don't need any swimming skill. The whole training is done with your life jacket on. We did it in the indoor swimming pool. There were several people (in my group) who didn't know how to swim, and they did fine.
However, I don't know if swimming skill is required of flight surgeon. You will have to ask around. But as far as SERE in SAM, you don't need to know how to swim.

Pei
P.S. SERE was FUN!!!

[This message has been edited by peiyueng (edited April 23, 2001).]

 

[electra]

Hi LisaB,

I am interested in flight surgery as I am going through school on a HPSP.

email me if you get a chance...I have some questions I would love to ask you.
thanks much,
electra

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