Ejection Stories
Thread Starter
Sorry to hog my own thread , but I just had to share this with you that was e-mailed to me:
The best story I ever heard goes back to the dark ages when we had money to spend on defence and education. The Royal Navy used to have a 'Seat Bus'. Literally a mobile training unit which toured the UK and gave the civil emergency services an insight into the MB products used by the Fleet Air Arm. One of the things you learn is to recognise when a punter is not sure of something, you then focus in on them. This is how the story goes...
"... Does anyone have any questions?.. Come on you're not happy about something, what is it?"
"You said that after the parachute deploys the sticker straps cause the seat to rotate away from the occupant and then allow it to fall away?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Does the seat have it's own parachute?"
"No. It's done it's job and now it's just scrap metal."
"So what do I do if I'm sitting at home and an ejection seat comes through my roof?"
"Pray. Because somewhere up there is twenty plus tons of aeroplane without a driver!"
The best story I ever heard goes back to the dark ages when we had money to spend on defence and education. The Royal Navy used to have a 'Seat Bus'. Literally a mobile training unit which toured the UK and gave the civil emergency services an insight into the MB products used by the Fleet Air Arm. One of the things you learn is to recognise when a punter is not sure of something, you then focus in on them. This is how the story goes...
"... Does anyone have any questions?.. Come on you're not happy about something, what is it?"
"You said that after the parachute deploys the sticker straps cause the seat to rotate away from the occupant and then allow it to fall away?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Does the seat have it's own parachute?"
"No. It's done it's job and now it's just scrap metal."
"So what do I do if I'm sitting at home and an ejection seat comes through my roof?"
"Pray. Because somewhere up there is twenty plus tons of aeroplane without a driver!"
Join Date: Jul 2002
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treadigraph,
Don't know about the C180, but there was an incident (okay, not related to bangseats) where a jumper was part of a large jump from (I think) a DC-3. Problem was that he was on the door rail so the group could all jump at once, but when they departed, his rip-stop nylon jumpsuit snagged a bolt inside the door frame and he was left dangling by the ankle in the slipstream, unable to get free. The DC3 pilot, oblivious to this (since when he looked back, there wasn't anyone in the aeroplane) proceeded to land - only hearing about the problem when it was too late to worry about it. They dragged the poor sod the length of the runway. Happily, his unopened parachute ablated instead of his back, and he survived with nothing more than (presumably) a stained jumpsuit
Only instance I know of where a person was saved because his chute did NOT open
Don't know about the C180, but there was an incident (okay, not related to bangseats) where a jumper was part of a large jump from (I think) a DC-3. Problem was that he was on the door rail so the group could all jump at once, but when they departed, his rip-stop nylon jumpsuit snagged a bolt inside the door frame and he was left dangling by the ankle in the slipstream, unable to get free. The DC3 pilot, oblivious to this (since when he looked back, there wasn't anyone in the aeroplane) proceeded to land - only hearing about the problem when it was too late to worry about it. They dragged the poor sod the length of the runway. Happily, his unopened parachute ablated instead of his back, and he survived with nothing more than (presumably) a stained jumpsuit
Only instance I know of where a person was saved because his chute did NOT open
Gnome de PPRuNe
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I remember that story EI, it was indeed a DC-3 in Arizona. There was a fantastic programme on C4 in the UK a few years ago called "Dead Men's Tales" about people who got away with parachuting accidents. Most of the incidents were recreated by stuntmen like the late, great Tip Tipping - some of it made my shoulders shrink!
I have a great admiration for parachutists! But I'll stay in the aeroplane, thanks!
I have a great admiration for parachutists! But I'll stay in the aeroplane, thanks!
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In 1956 as an Army National Service 2/Lt I was sent on a fire officer training course with Kent Fire Brigade. One event we were trained for was getting a pilot out of a crashed aircraft fitted with an ejector seat (an unlikely scenario...). Having been made well aware of the danger of being hurled skywards in one's rescue efforts, we were led through the MB seat's handles, mortar etc very well. Then of course there were the others. I don't remember instruction on US seats (or were they MB by then?), but we were warned that on Mig 15s there were all manner of different designs, the ejector mortar was known to go off unpredicably, no warning signs etc, so the carefully unstated message was that whilst one should always try to save the life of our gallant Soviet enemy, it might be wisest to wait for the pilot to get out by himself.....
Thread Starter
If anyone has access to photos, adverts, books relating to this subject (ejection seats) I would be interested in hearing from them with a view to purchasing, blagging, borrowing etc.
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Treadigraph - the parachuting Cessna incident happened at Ahsbourne, Derbyshire. I have a book at home (into the silk??) which shows a poor quality photo of the whole lot coming down - the Cessna nose-first and vertical, with the chute streaming behind. I expect it came down quite quickly!
Another, much more dramatic, photo in the book is the Lighning on short final to Hatfield. It is about 100 feet in the air, pointing verytically down, with the pilot (Jimmy Dell?) having ejected (he landed in a greenhouse and survived with minor injuries). In the forground of the picture is a trcator, with the driver looking back in amazement at the about-to-impact Lighning.
It had been out over East Anglia for some photos of a DH missile on the wings (IIRC) and got a fire in the rear fuselage. It almost made it back to Hatfield before the elevator controls failed and the pilot ejected on short final.
SSD
Another, much more dramatic, photo in the book is the Lighning on short final to Hatfield. It is about 100 feet in the air, pointing verytically down, with the pilot (Jimmy Dell?) having ejected (he landed in a greenhouse and survived with minor injuries). In the forground of the picture is a trcator, with the driver looking back in amazement at the about-to-impact Lighning.
It had been out over East Anglia for some photos of a DH missile on the wings (IIRC) and got a fire in the rear fuselage. It almost made it back to Hatfield before the elevator controls failed and the pilot ejected on short final.
SSD
SSD
The Lightning in the greenhouse pilot was George Aird. The photographer was actually doing a piece on agriculture when the Lightning descended into his viewfinder!
http://www.aeropages.co.za/ThisnThat3.html
The Lightning in the greenhouse pilot was George Aird. The photographer was actually doing a piece on agriculture when the Lightning descended into his viewfinder!
http://www.aeropages.co.za/ThisnThat3.html
Last edited by wub; 4th Sep 2002 at 15:07.
Thread Starter
The Martin Baker Mk 8 seat was developed for the TSR2. Does anyone have any info on how many Mk 8's were actually made? I know of the whereabouts of 7 of these seats, but does anyone know of any more that might be in museums, collections etc? I have contacted Martin Baker but they cant shed any light on how many were made.
Thread Starter
If anyone out there in testing land is having a clear out of the top shelf and comes across ANYTHING to do with ejection seats /aircraft escape systems, please could I have it?
Message me for my snail mail address and I'll pay postage.
Thank you.
Message me for my snail mail address and I'll pay postage.
Thank you.
Thread Starter
In an attempt to get an almost definitive list could ppruners advise me where there are ejection seats on display.
Museums, etc.
If possible list what the seats are ..
many thanks
Museums, etc.
If possible list what the seats are ..
many thanks
