News>AFE ensures anti-exposure suits are airtight, waterproof
Photos
Staff Sgt. Joshua Smith, 8th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment assistant NCO in charge, inspects an anti-exposure suit for any tears or abrasions Dec. 11, 2012, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. AFE technicians ensure these suits are airtight and waterproof to increase a pilot’s chances of survival if he must eject over water. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley/Released)
Senior Airman Joshua Stewart, left, 8th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment technician, illuminates the wrist seal of an anti-exposure suit as Staff Sgt. Joshua Smith, 8th OSS AFE assistant NCO in charge, seals it during water testing Dec. 11, 2012, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. The suits increase the chances of a pilot’s survival if he must eject over water during a flight. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley/Released)
Staff Sgt. Joshua Smith, right, 8th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment assistant NCO in charge, and Senior Airman Joshua Stewart, 8th OSS AFE technician, prepare an anti-exposure suit for water testing Dec. 11, 2012, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. The suits are worn by pilots when water temperatures fall below 60 F. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley/Released)
Staff Sgt. Joshua Smith, left, 8th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment assistant NCO in charge, and Senior Airman Joshua Stewart, 8th OSS AFE technician, prepare to water test an anti-exposure suit Dec. 11, 2012, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. The AFE technicians turn the suit inside out and fill it with water before thoroughly inspecting it for any leaks. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley/Released)
Staff Sgt. Joshua Smith, 8th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment assistant NCO in charge, thoroughly inspects an anti-exposure suit Dec. 11, 2012, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. Depending on the suit’s model, AFE technicians perform water and air testing every 180 or 360 days to ensure it is flight ready. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley/Released)
Senior Airman Joshua Stewart, 8th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment technician, shows the proper way to mark a tear found on an anti-exposure suit during water testing Dec. 11, 2012, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. When any damage is found on the suit, AFE technicians sew and repair it with seam tape before re-testing and certifying it as safe for a pilot to wear. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley/Released)
Senior Airman Joshua Stewart, 8th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment technician, turns an anti-exposure suit inside out before water testing it Dec. 11, 2012, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. The many detailed parts of the suit, including wrist seals and zippers, make thorough testing by the AFE technicians vital to ensuring the pilot’s safety if he must eject over water. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley/Released)
Senior Airman Joshua Stewart, left, 8th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment technician, double-checks that the neck seal on an anti-exposure suit is properly clamped as Staff Sgt. Joshua Smith, 8th OSS AFE assistant NCO in charge, helps Dec. 11, 2012, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. The suits, which have an average shelf life of 10 years, are tested regularly for mission readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley/Released)
Staff Sgt. Joshua Smith, 8th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment assistant NCO in charge, rolls down the wrist seam of an anti-exposure suit Dec. 11, 2012, at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea. From waterproofing pilots’ suits to ensuring their parachutes are properly packed, AFE technicians have an important role in pilots’ safety. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley/Released)
by Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley
8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
12/21/2012 - KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- When the human body is immersed in cold water, it loses heat 25 times faster than it does when exposed to cold air.
For F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots flying over the frigid Pacific Ocean and Yellow Sea during routine flights, the anti-exposure suits they wear can be the difference between life and death.
The 8th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment flight at Kunsan works to ensure these suits are both airtight and waterproof.
