Thank you Martin-Baker
Thread Starter
Thank you Martin-Baker
Today is the 50th anniversary of the double ejection of myself and QFI from JP4 XP635. We celebrated with a fascinating visit to the MB factory at Denham, where we received the warmest and most cordial of welcomes, followed by lunch with the directors.
So if you are an ejectee and have not yet visited the factory, DO IT you will have a most interesting experience.
So thank you M-B for our lives and a splendid visit !!
So if you are an ejectee and have not yet visited the factory, DO IT you will have a most interesting experience.
So thank you M-B for our lives and a splendid visit !!
Last edited by RetiredBA/BY; 18th Apr 2013 at 13:55.
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My dear chap: careful what you post. Curiosity took me to an aviation safety site which displayed what is, I assume, your name.
Last edited by Unixman; 18th Apr 2013 at 14:45.
Unixman,
Yes it was really easy to find the names of the crew on the internet but come on, does it really matter. The OP has celebrated 50 years of extra life that may not have been available but for MB and quite rightly has celebrated this event.
Chill.
Yes it was really easy to find the names of the crew on the internet but come on, does it really matter. The OP has celebrated 50 years of extra life that may not have been available but for MB and quite rightly has celebrated this event.
Chill.
Picture's here...what a mess a dry stone wall can cause!
JET PROVOST CRASHES - Jet Provost File
Almost banged myself out during the night solo climb for height..torch lanyard was too long and torch snagged the seat handle...good hard yank to retrieve torch produced a sickening 'clunk'....would have been a long drop from FL30+...
JET PROVOST CRASHES - Jet Provost File
Almost banged myself out during the night solo climb for height..torch lanyard was too long and torch snagged the seat handle...good hard yank to retrieve torch produced a sickening 'clunk'....would have been a long drop from FL30+...
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Worth recording here that M-B looks after its own people, too.
Years ago I was in the PMRAF Hospital Halton (yes, it was years ago!) for an eye operation. In the next bed was an elderly gentleman, in for the same thing. About two hours after I had settled in and we had had a couple of introductory conversations, I noticed that the nurses called him not by his Christian name (gosh, it was a long time ago...), but 'Mr Lynch'. The moustache was white now, not black, but of course it was none other than Bernard Lynch, Martin-Baker's original guinea-pig. He was a bit surprised I knew who he was, but less so perhaps after he found out I was on the Lightning force. He was embarrassed when I said that I and my friends regarded him as our hero and would always be grateful to him. We had much to talk about; he had carried out 17 ejections in all sorts of conditions and experimental configurations
His story was that he had retired, but used to visit the factory frequently to keep up with what was going on. After a while he couldn't see well enough to drive so had stopped going. The MD had noticed and had asked why they didn't see Bernard any more. He was told it was because Bernard had cataracts. "But they can fix those now, can't they?" asked the MD. "Yes" his friends replied, "but there is a two-year waiting list".
The MD went straight into his office and called the Chief of the Air Staff. Result: Bernard was in Halton the following week, got his eyes (and one or two other problems) fixed and was able to resume his M-B visits in the years before he died. Full marks to Martin-Baker's leadership, and I was a bit proud of the Royal Air Force that week too.
Years ago I was in the PMRAF Hospital Halton (yes, it was years ago!) for an eye operation. In the next bed was an elderly gentleman, in for the same thing. About two hours after I had settled in and we had had a couple of introductory conversations, I noticed that the nurses called him not by his Christian name (gosh, it was a long time ago...), but 'Mr Lynch'. The moustache was white now, not black, but of course it was none other than Bernard Lynch, Martin-Baker's original guinea-pig. He was a bit surprised I knew who he was, but less so perhaps after he found out I was on the Lightning force. He was embarrassed when I said that I and my friends regarded him as our hero and would always be grateful to him. We had much to talk about; he had carried out 17 ejections in all sorts of conditions and experimental configurations
His story was that he had retired, but used to visit the factory frequently to keep up with what was going on. After a while he couldn't see well enough to drive so had stopped going. The MD had noticed and had asked why they didn't see Bernard any more. He was told it was because Bernard had cataracts. "But they can fix those now, can't they?" asked the MD. "Yes" his friends replied, "but there is a two-year waiting list".
The MD went straight into his office and called the Chief of the Air Staff. Result: Bernard was in Halton the following week, got his eyes (and one or two other problems) fixed and was able to resume his M-B visits in the years before he died. Full marks to Martin-Baker's leadership, and I was a bit proud of the Royal Air Force that week too.
When the current Mrs O-D and I were newly wed, she lived in an MQ at Biggin Hill being 'on the boards' so to speak at said selection centre.
One evening we were invited to a '21st birthday' party and duly arrived expecting to see our hosts' child or whatever celebrating. After a polite interval, nobody under about 40 being present - save Mrs O-D that is - I enquired as to where and who the celebrant was. 'It's me' smiled our host 'it's 21 years ago today that I exited my aircraft in a marked manner and I felt I needed to celebrate the occasion'.
Messrs M & B were thanked with the consumption of various beverages and snacks and I learned that it was one of the few occasions when an entire 'V' bomber crew had escaped, although three of them courtesy of Mr Irvin (I think), rather than Sir James!
Old Duffer
One evening we were invited to a '21st birthday' party and duly arrived expecting to see our hosts' child or whatever celebrating. After a polite interval, nobody under about 40 being present - save Mrs O-D that is - I enquired as to where and who the celebrant was. 'It's me' smiled our host 'it's 21 years ago today that I exited my aircraft in a marked manner and I felt I needed to celebrate the occasion'.
Messrs M & B were thanked with the consumption of various beverages and snacks and I learned that it was one of the few occasions when an entire 'V' bomber crew had escaped, although three of them courtesy of Mr Irvin (I think), rather than Sir James!
Old Duffer
Last edited by Old-Duffer; 20th Apr 2013 at 05:39.
Almost banged myself out during the night solo climb for height..torch lanyard was too long and torch snagged the seat handle...good hard yank to retrieve torch produced a sickening 'clunk'....would have been a long drop from FL30+...
Amazing that the RAF in those days would issue you with Qty 1 Provosts, Jet, Officers for the flying of, but refused to allow students to draw nighf flying torches....
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In the early 70s an ejectee colleague of mine went to a dinner/drinkex organised by MB to celebrate the 4000th life saved by an MB seat. Currently the figure is over 7000. During the festivities there was a discussion about a USAF pilot who had (allegedly) ejected 3 times in 4 flights; twice on consecutive flights in Vietnam and on his second flight on return to duty in USA. Fact, fiction or Urban Myth?
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BEagle ...
My Chipmunk QFI had one of these in greyish rubber from Ever Ready which he added a neck lanyard to and tucked it under his shoulder straps ... just right for reading the external wing root fuel gages on the Chipmunk at night. He called his "Betsy" ...
I think the red version above was standard Police issue in the 60/70's ... long before those aluminium truncheons from MagLite appeared from the US.
Coff.
My Chipmunk QFI had one of these in greyish rubber from Ever Ready which he added a neck lanyard to and tucked it under his shoulder straps ... just right for reading the external wing root fuel gages on the Chipmunk at night. He called his "Betsy" ...
I think the red version above was standard Police issue in the 60/70's ... long before those aluminium truncheons from MagLite appeared from the US.
Coff.
