NAS Pensacola Aviation Preflight Indoctrination: the mile swim

You have to swim a mile in a flight suit, or at least you did in, ahem 'the day'.

It's going to be too big because it's not yours and it's for pool use.

It's not the one that fits you because other people rushed the rack and got those.

So it's like a big, wet, draggy bag draped around you that you're going to carry for however many minutes it takes to swim a mile.

At least they don't make you wear boots. For this. Other stuff, you wear boots and gear etc.

Longer story short: I cried out to the Lord, or more accurately Jesus, at one point but I finished THE FIRST TIME.

People don't.

So maybe after 30-40 minutes, they're back next week to try again.

Some never do, and otherwise good candidates are washed out for fears of water, not passing this gut check, etc.

I had a hip injury, so instead of using my legs as much, I had to use my arms more.

They had to lift me out of the pool at the end.

The instructor said he'd never seen someone so far off the pace as I was at one point come back and complete it.

Oh, did I mention there was a maximum time?

80 minutes.

I did it in 78.5

True story.

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