Originally Posted by
HUTCHP
Half way through he book and really enjoying it.
Maybe a daft question but ( humour an ex radio officer) Is there a standard approved phase to initiate an ejection. I thought it was EJECT x3 but Johns title suggest EJECT x2. And is it standard across air forces, knowing that US phraseology can be different.
Also is it true that aircrew would avoid using the E word in flight unless really about to leave the aircraft.
Hutch
I think it rather depends on the situation! Cleary it is only relevant in a crew aircraft (though perhaps I should have asked if single-seaters whispered it to themselves?). There are cases in the book when one member of the crew ejects both (in Command-Eject equipped aircraft) with no warning at all due to the dire situation. Sometimes it is pre-planned, sometimes you only have time for one "EJECT!"
I certainly don't remember any specific directive. Other (as many others have said) than on my first JP trip at Finningley with Dai Rees, his brief on the runway was, "If we have to get out, I will call EJECT! EJECT! but you won't hear the 2nd one as you'll be looking at the soles of my boots...."
And many, many thanks to those who have bought the book, propelling it to the number 2 slot on the Sunday Times bestseller list.