Sharpend
Please don't think for one second that I am criticising you, as a non-pilot I am in no position to do so. I am just curious as to what led you to the decision to stay with the aircraft rather than eject.
I have been thinking about it and, with my admittedly limited knowledge, I have come up with what I think are some pros and cons to ejecting in that situation.
Pros:-
You said that the engine had surged once and, although you had carried out a successful relight, it could have happened again at a critical stage of the approach.
There may have been other structural damage that you were unaware of.
Your injuries may have been worse than you thought, leading to a loss of consciousness. Does the Hawk have a command ejection system from the rear seat?
Cons:-
As you had lost your visor I assume that an ejection would have worsened your facial injuries, not something anyone would voluntarily do. Not to mention the regular ejection injuries for both yourself and your navigator.
As with any ejection there would be the possibility of casualties on the ground if the aircraft came down in the wrong place.
The airframe may be saved. And in this case I assume the fact that the damage to the windscreen could be examined, helped in the process of the subsequent re-design.
Obviously one of the big benefits was that you could get immediate medical attention after landing, and as serious as your injuries were, I am glad that they were no worse.
I wonder if you would care to comment, I'm sure my pros and cons are in no way exhaustive, and I was sitting down comfortably thinking about it. Not with a face full of duck, blind, in pain and in a very perilous situation!
Last edited by Avionker; 24th Aug 2011 at 20:38.