Life Rafts Systems

The only reason why life rafts exist is the SAVE YOUR LIFE. These are used in an emergency situation. Per the FAA and general common sense, we know we should have room on our life rafts for everyone on board.  Life rafts come carefully folded and stowed in a carrying bag that fits in your aircraft. In an emergency, you deploy the raft and pull a cord to manually activate the compressed gas inflator system.

History

The inflatable life raft or dingy was introduced into aircraft in the 1930s. The Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Canadian Air Force [30] suspended it between the longerons at the aft end of the biplane fuselage. Just prior to World War II, the free-floating multi-seat dinghy was added to the inventory of aviation lifesaving equipment [40]. Llano [29] reviewed 35% of the 4 – 5000 ditching’s in World War II and the Korean War. He concluded that the life raft had been of great value, but in virtually every case there was reference to a struggle to get into it. This was only made worse if the crew member was injured or simply exhausted.Many survivors recommended deflating the life raft before entry and/or climbing into an uninflected life raft before inflating it.