IBM Flying Club Safety Equipment

The IBM Flying club holds three sets of safety equipment which have been put together for use by club members. They are available on a first-come first-served basis, so if you want to borrow one of the kits, you should ensure that you contact one of the holders and reserve the kit well ahead of time. You will be responsible for collecting and returning the kit on the agreed dates.


If there are any problems with safety kits, the first contact should be the respective keepers but you could also contact James Mason for further availability problems and technical queries.

If you borrow one of the kits it is your responsibility to ensure that what you have borrowed is suitable for your requirements. The IBM Flying Club will make reasonable efforts to ensure that the equipment contained within each kit is serviceable, but no guarantees can be given or expected and you should not consider the kits to be complete survival kits for all occasions. You may also consider taking survival training prior to taking the safety equipment on a trip, although this is not a pre-req for borrowing the kit. The Club recently organized a SEMS life raft training evening for members which was well attended and well received. If you would like to undergo similar training please contact a member of the committee for more details.

Thanks to our treasurer, and the IBM Club, we have been able to purchase three new McMurdo Fast Find Plus Personal Location Beacons.  These have been registered the PLB's with the UK Mission Control Centre, RAF Kinloss which included providing three named contacts. As a result when anyone borrows a safety kit he / she will be asked to complete a short form so that, in the unlikely event one of the club's PLB's is activated, a chain of communication will be established. There will be a supply of these forms with each kit keeper.

You will be expected to return the safety equipment in a serviceable state and report any  problems you encounter whilst it is in you possession. The equipment is available for all club members to use and there will be a small charge each time you borrow the kit. You will also be charged for the cost of any damage or usage which results from improper use or negligence, however if you are unfortunate enough to have to use any of the equipment in a real emergency all charges will be waived.

This equipment cost the club a lot of money to buy, so please treat it like a baby when you borrow it - keep it clean and dry. Don't leave it on the ground, in the wet, the boot of your car or the back of an aeroplane (this applies to both the life rafts and the lifejackets). You want to be sure it will work if you ever need to use it.
 
 

 

The club now has four survival immersion suits as part of the kit, however several club members do have their own, which they may be willing to lending out, or you can rent them from SEMS (who also rent and sell other safety equipment) or other similar organizations.