PASS Initial: Primary Aviation Survival School Initial Course
This 5 day basic course was developed for the U.S. Customs Air Interdiction Division from the Department of Treasury, now Customs and Border Protection within Homeland Security. The course is for operational pilots and aircrews operating both inside and outside the confines of the continental U.S. It encompasses the basic elements of arctic/winter, desert, jungle, mountain and sea survival along with aircraft safety, preparedness and egress for both helicopter and fixed wing platforms. The course is a liberal mix of classroom and practical instruction that includes actual cockpit fire and smoke management evacuations from aircraft, and an underwater egress lab that involves a Shallow Water Egress Trainer (SWET) that simulates the upside down fuselage of a submerged aircraft. The raft management practical and land survival lab are both designed to give participants a full range of experiences with both equipment and skills. Another integral part of the course involves personal security and anti-terrorist strategies while traveling outside the continental U.S.
Course Content
- Survival Basics & Research
- Principles of Physiology & Body Management
- Mental Factors Influencing Survival
- Survival Medicine
- Aviation Physiology & Aeromedical Facts
- Clothing & Personal Protective Equipment
- Emergency Landing Procedures
- Fire & Smoke Management (includes practical)
- Ditching
- Underwater Egress (includes practical)
- Emergency Air
- Land Survival in all Environments (includes practical)
- Shelter, Fire & Signaling
- Survival Kits
- Water Procurement & Preparation
- Improvising from the Aircraft
- Raft Management and Personnel Accountability
- Sea Survival
- Search and Rescue Systems
- Personal Security when Traveling Abroad
- Anti-terrorism Strategies
- Hostage Survival.