A Question About Ejection Seats
I've just finished John McCain's memoir, Faith of the Fathers,
which deals with his Vietnam/POW experience.
After a SAM blasted off the wing of his F-4, he was able to eject, but fractured his arm and leg in several places in the process. This was also a common plight of his fellow POW pilots (if the force of the ejection didn't kill them first).
My question is this: Have ejection seats become more "user friendly" if I can call it that? In thinking back to McCain's experience, even though he had been trained to survive hostile territory and/or severe terrain, what good would it be to him or others when crippled by serious injury due to the ejection seat which ironically, was designed to reduce pilot casualties?
Thanking you in advance for your answers!