The Red Bull Air Racing Series takes all matters of safety very seriously.
The Red Bull Air Race pilots had the opportunity to put underwater emergency escape techniques into practice ahead of the second round of the world's fastest motorsport series in Rovinj, Croatia.
The Shallow Water Egress Training (SWET), provided by underwater diving specialists Rapid Diving Unit, prepared the pilots to carry out an effective rescue plan from a real plane fuselage while under water. The team of life-saving experts are also present at every race and can quickly access the racetrack area in the event of a rescue situation. Rehearsing this emergency routine is a vital part of helping everyone to build trust should the unexpected occur.
Austrian pilot and title challenger, Hannes Arch, was eager to test his own ability to stay calm under pressure and took turns with the rest of the Master Class and Challenger Cup pilots to be submerged upside down in the cockpit environment.
The training session used a stripped back MXS fuselage, submerged in a pool to create a realistic environment in which to guide pilots through techniques to control and calm themselves under pressure. Drills included how to correctly exit a fuselage under water, breathing with the apparatus and techniques to fight disorientation and panic.
"It was really useful to work with the actual divers and equipment as it was a realistic approach to the scenario," Canadian pilot Pete McLeod explained. "Being upside down underwater is not the most natural position for us, but the training and equipment is excellent and it's amazing how quickly you can adapt to using it."
Mike Goulian, from the USA, was also impressed with the improvements made to the training requirements in the last three years. "In Perth, we had underwater training but it was held in a helicopter simulator. Here in Rovinj, the seatbelts, the canopy mechanism and the size of the cockpit accurately represent the race plane environment," he said.
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship operates under the strictest safety regulations and is backed by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), which supports the safety supervision at all races.
"Up to Speed" is a series of articles looking behind the scenes of various motorsport series at technical, rules and safety issues
