Life Raft: survival Products or winslow?

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hkavasch
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Life Raft: survival Products or winslow?

Post by hkavasch »

Survival products looks a little bit cheap ..
Winslow is the rolls Royce

Is there anybody that has real life experience with any of the two?
Is it worth to spent the money and weight on a Winslow?

Ferry flight from US to Germany planned in six weeks. Need to buy a raft in US
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Re: Life Raft: survival Products or winslow?

Post by Aart »

http://www.equipped.com/raftstoc.htm
Yes, Winslow is the better equipment, but comes with a price and with extra weight. Winslow would be my choice if I were to cross the Atlantic, no doubt. But once the plane is here, what will be the user profile of the plane? If the crossings are over less hostile waters, a simpler raft may be a consideration.
Why not rent a good raft in the US for the crossing?
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Re: Life Raft: survival Products or winslow?

Post by hkavasch »

Renting is difficult, as we are flying one way...
I am in contact with someone in Wick, Scotland, that has rafts on both sides.
However, I am really looking for someone that has "real" experience with either raft.. :-)
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Re: Life Raft: survival Products or winslow?

Post by Aart »

It may not be easy to find someone with "real" experience on this forum, but who knows..
Some experience that comes close may be what I learned at an evacuation course that I did a few years ago. Surprisingly it made me realize that not in all cases the most expensive and biggest raft is the best choice.

If you end up upside down in the water, this is really disorienting, and you need all your braincells to take the right steps in the right sequence to get out of the plane. If you talking about a Diamond aircraft, the raft would be on the seats behind. It is going to be difficult if not impossible to take that large and heavy package with you..
Maybe if you are two up front, the person not flying would have to get a hold of the raft and somehow get it on his lap before touchdown. Not easy though.

What I am saying is that sometimes a light and small package will in the end be better than an bulky one. I actually bought a Winslow Island Flyer years ago before I realized this, and I am probably going to toss it and buy a light and small raft which I can put up front, even with two in the front of the plane. In my circumstances, flying over the usually benign Med with often quite some boats around, and flying a twin that is probably the most sensible choice.

I am not making your choice easier, but still it something to consider..
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Re: Life Raft: survival Products or winslow?

Post by hkavasch »

thanks... big help!.. that's also my thinking..
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Re: Life Raft: survival Products or winslow?

Post by ihfanjv »

I fly primarily in the U.S. South and the Caribbean, so I went with a relatively light but (supposedly) stable raft that I carry with me in the back seat during extended overwater flights. I chose the Winslow 40SLRR2 4 person raft with 3 added-on ballast bags, which I bought here:

http://www.astoverwater.com/catalog/ite ... 40986.htm.

The Winslow 40SLRR2 I have is a vacuum packed 23 pound somewhat awkwardly shaped brick that is heavier than it is large, but it is by no means very small. I consider the raft a luxury that I might not be able to use even if I ditch. When I fly over water I wear a vest loaded with survival equipment. If I have to ditch, and if I have the luxury of time and stability to retrieve the raft from the back before the plane sinks, then the raft is a luxury to use while my passengers and I await rescue. If I can't reach the raft before the plane goes down, we will be corks bobbing in the ocean until someone hopefully arrives to help. I think the survival experts say that in a ditching you can only count on having those things attached to you when you ditch. Friends that have done dunk tank exercises have told me that even when you are totally prepared for a practice ditching in a controlled environment it is nearly impossible not to panic. So, in short, you can't count on having the raft.

Dealing with Randy at astoverwater was a pleasure. When you order with him he then places a custom order with Winslow. You can order and equip the raft customized however you like, and there are endless options. You can have it loaded with water and PLBs or whatever you want. So, before ordering, I would call or email Randy and tell him what your needs are, and he can help steer you in the right direction.

(I am not affiliated with astoverwater or Randy, other than as a satisfied customer.)
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Re: Life Raft: survival Products or winslow?

Post by CFIDave »

If you haven't bought a raft already, I'd suggest you just rent survival/immersion suits, a raft, and a personal locator beacon from the FBO in Goose Bay. You can then drop them off when you get to Wick, Scotland.

Have a good trip!
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