Aviation -- Wet Ditching Drill, 1951

11 images. Aviation -- Wet Ditching Drill, 19 September 1951. Six Officers who jumped into water from boat to raft dropped from air rescue service plane for practice ditching plane.; Caption slip reads: "Photographer: Emery. Date: 1951. Reporter: Driscoll. Assignment: 'Wet ditching drill' 1/2 mile offshore 62nd Place, Long Beach. 50, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57: 6 officers of 1738th Ferrying Squadron, Long Beach Airport, jump overboard into 35 feet of cold ocean water, wait for Air Rescue Service Plane from March Field, swim to collapsed raft dropped by plane, inflate raft and climb aboard, paddle to shore, etc., etc. 40, 44: Long Beach lifeguards in dories may be in background some shots. 45: Boat they jump from is Long Beach City lifeguard speedboad 'Rescue'. 48, 49: First man to reach raft is First Lieutenant James A. Lucey. Others in water are Captains Floyd Tillotson, Robert A. Nice; W.J. Andrus; Bryan A. Platt; and Earl D. Hollenbeck".