1/ BACKGROUND AND MISSION

A decision was taken in 1977 to create a Naval Aviation Rescue and Survival School at NAS Fréjus-Saint Raphael. A preliminary study had been undertaken by the MSV and Cuers DCAN to determine all the necessary installations for the base. A building with a 1500 cubic meters pool was built in 1979-1980. Special equipment was created to simulate submerged crashed aircraft (airplanes and helicopters). It allows crews to practice rapid underwater evacuations - a training needed in the case of a crash (several pilots owe them their lives).

If winds were strong, the pilot would be winched !!! (MN/ Avec l'aimable autorisation de Cols Bleus)

The ESSAN (Naval Aviation Rescue and Survival School) becomes on June 1st 1993 the CESSAN (Naval Aviation Survival and Rescue Training Center) and remains under the authority of the Naval Aviation Central Services ; all other schools were to be supervised by the Navy Military Personnel Service. The first course started January 12th ; it was composed by initial 5 day course and 3 day refresher course. Usually, 50 courses are held every year, training about 600 flying personnel, students or unqualified officers, for sea crashes. But these courses are not held exclusively for Navy personnel : ALAT (Army aviation) and Air Force (helicopters pilots only) flying personnel also train at the CESSAN. The CESSAN used to train with 10S and 20S squadrons for full life operations and to practice day/night winching at sea.

Training in a single-seater fighter dunker. (MN/ Avec l'aimable autorisation de Cols Bleus)	In this case, it is a helicopter dunker which strongly looks like a WG-13 Lynx cockpit. (MN/ Avec l'aimable autorisation de Cols Bleus)

Many participants describe the course as very tough physically and mentally. But all of them-pilots, copilots, flight engineers, operators, men or women-have to attend the course ; and between 5% and 8% fail it (but are not eliminated from flight training). Participants are placed, strapped in and harnessed, with their helmet on, in a cabin simulating their cockpit, which little by little is submerged into the pool. The student has to remember all the different procedures ; disconnect the helmet, jettison the door or canopy, prepare to exit the cockpit and finally swim to the surface (after 30 seconds of horror strapped to your seat). Considering the high risk of this training, 2 divers are always next to the cabin to assist the student if he is in danger.

But the training offered doesn't end here !!!

Participants are also taught to :

• Let themselves be tugged by their parachute in water.
• Unstrap themselves from their parachute in water.
• Be pulled out of the water by a helicopter-by day or by night.

The pilot must remove his parachute without suffocating. (MN/ Avec l'aimable autorisation de Cols Bleus)

The course is sanctioned by a certificate ; it must be renewed every year for fighter aircraft. On May 3rd 1995, the CESSAN was transferred to NAS Lanvéoc-Poulmic after NAS Fréjus-Saint Raphael closed. Since 1981, over 9,000 flying personnel have been trained.

2/ PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF AN ATLANTIC 1 NAVIGATION OFFICER : STEPHANE FULSABA

Today I am going to introduce you to the "dunker": the instrument dreaded by every aircrew member of the Aéronavale. It is indeed strange enough to scare any future airman, like the one I was at the Flying Personnel School (EPV/56S).

This exercise consists in getting out of a mock helicopter cockpit, 18 ft under water ; and in full flight gear to make things more real.

The whole exercise involves several dives : simple at first, then the cockpit is turned upside down, an finally everything is done again, by night. In this case you can't see the surface and become disoriented. To train fighter pilots, the CESSAN has a mock Etendard cockpit instead.

The CESSAN course lasts one week, and is done at the beginning of every flying personnel's training, and failure is disqualifying. A refresher's course is mandatory every three years (except for fighter pilots which go through it every year).