Title:
Hangar Talk Saturdays (KVNY) / Ditching and Survival / Hands-On Life Raft and Emergency Preparednes
Topic:
Emergency Ditching Procedures, Passenger Management, and Post-Impact Survival Strategies Over Water
Speaker(s):
Richard Mend, CFI-AIM-ATP, FAASTeam Representative
Brief Description:
A successful ditching is not the end of the emergency—it is the beginning of a survival scenario. This session goes beyond basic ditching procedures and focuses on what actually keeps pilots and passengers alive after a water landing.
From the critical seconds before impact to the chaotic moments during evacuation, participants will learn how to prepare the cabin, brief passengers effectively, deploy survival equipment, and avoid the most common and deadly mistakes. Real-world ditching considerations will be discussed, including when to remain with the aircraft, when to evacuate, and how to manage passengers in a high-stress, time-critical environment.
Survival does not stop once you exit the aircraft. This seminar will also cover practical strategies for using onboard survival kits, signaling for rescue, and protecting against environmental threats such as cold water immersion and hypothermia—conditions that can become life-threatening within minutes.
Select Number:
WP01144457
Location of Seminar:
LA Flight Academy
7900 Balboa Blvd
G6 Prop Park West
Van Nuys, CA 91406
Directions to Venue:
There is easy access from Balboa Blvd with plenty of free parking. Seminar length is 2 hours.
View Map
Seating:
50
seats at the facility,
44
remaining for online registration.
Registration Information:
Sponsoring Division:
FAASTeam
Additional Event Information & Acknowledgement of Industry Sponsor(s):
Please bring something to take notes with (pencil and paper recommended). Also consider bringing a light jacket, as the seminar is held inside an airplane hangar and it can sometimes be cool.
A life raft will be brought into the session for hands-on familiarization, providing a valuable opportunity to see and understand this equipment before it is ever needed in an actual emergency.
Guest Speaker Jill Dressel is the founder of CASE Training Academy, specializing in advanced cabin safety training for corporate flight departments. With over 26 years in aviation—including commercial and corporate flight attendant experience and safety training—she brings firsthand knowledge of real emergency scenarios and the decisions that matter most.
Jill is an FAASTeam training provider and a certified Red Cross instructor.
Speaker Richard Mend ATP SEL/MEL CFI-AI - FAASTeam Rep - Longtime professional instructor in the LA Basin area with a vast amount of experience at almost every local airport. Mr. Mend has been conducting flight and ground training for all ratings over several decades. Besides his hands-on experience he also brings to the table his aircraft mechanical knowledge.
Equal Access Information:
The FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) is committed to providing equal access to this meeting/event for all participants. If you need alternative formats or services because of a disability, please communicate your request as soon as possible with the person in the “Contact Information” area of the meeting/event notice. Note that two weeks is usually required to arrange services.
Credit Applicability:
1 Credit for Basic Knowledge Topic 1
FAASTeam Project Information:
National Project:
In-Person Safety Promotion to GA Pilots and Flight Instructors
Additional Event Documents: