Ejection Stories
Thread Starter
Ejection Stories
Greetings one and all!
Can anyone supply ejection stories / anecdotes / rumours / photos about using ejection seats. I am compiling a list of such things for my (brilliant!!!) web site:
www.ejectorseats.co.uk
and would love to expand on this subject.
Over to you......
Can anyone supply ejection stories / anecdotes / rumours / photos about using ejection seats. I am compiling a list of such things for my (brilliant!!!) web site:
www.ejectorseats.co.uk
and would love to expand on this subject.
Over to you......
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Seem to recall that the backseater in a Phantom banged out at the Bournemouth Airshow a few years ago after the aircraft left the runway during roll out. Pilot stayed aboard and halted the wee beastie on the grass...
I have also seen a picture of an RAF Tornado "cabriolet" landing somewhere after the rear seater left early (must have been opening time?)
Dunno anything more about either of theses stories, but they might be of use?
I have also seen a picture of an RAF Tornado "cabriolet" landing somewhere after the rear seater left early (must have been opening time?)
Dunno anything more about either of theses stories, but they might be of use?
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About 5 years ago I spent an enjoyable evening in the company of Doddy Hay. He had been a live tester of ejection seats for Martin Baker and was full of interesting stories. He would be a great person to track down. At that time he was living in Memorial Court, Methil, Fife.
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Here goes, pardon the stream of consciousness.
RCAF (Back when we had an air force) Stn. Bagotville, late 1963. CF 100 on a test flight after maintenance, descending through 12000, nav writing radar report. Pilot pulls negative G as part of the test procedure. Nav regains orientation hanging in parachute without boots and with a rather crushed pencil in hand, lands on the shore of Lac st. Jean. A/C returns to Bagtown with rear seat gun extended, no canopy and drogue wrapped around horizontal stabilizer, gentlest landing of this type ever seen as pilot's seat was not locked down and had only to rise a few inches to fire the gun. No one knows how the nav's 'chute deployed as the drogue returned with the aircraft. Nav found by air search and picked up by helicopter borrowed from Hydro Quebec. He entered the radar section during the compulsory tour of congratulation and the radar sergeant asked him for the radar report. "Sir! How do you expect us to keep the set on the top line if you don't fill out the paperwork?"
The SE techs received a case of beer because the parachute worked and 3 weeks jankers because it shouldn't have had to.
RCAF (Back when we had an air force) Stn. Bagotville, late 1963. CF 100 on a test flight after maintenance, descending through 12000, nav writing radar report. Pilot pulls negative G as part of the test procedure. Nav regains orientation hanging in parachute without boots and with a rather crushed pencil in hand, lands on the shore of Lac st. Jean. A/C returns to Bagtown with rear seat gun extended, no canopy and drogue wrapped around horizontal stabilizer, gentlest landing of this type ever seen as pilot's seat was not locked down and had only to rise a few inches to fire the gun. No one knows how the nav's 'chute deployed as the drogue returned with the aircraft. Nav found by air search and picked up by helicopter borrowed from Hydro Quebec. He entered the radar section during the compulsory tour of congratulation and the radar sergeant asked him for the radar report. "Sir! How do you expect us to keep the set on the top line if you don't fill out the paperwork?"
The SE techs received a case of beer because the parachute worked and 3 weeks jankers because it shouldn't have had to.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Flash2001 reminded me of another one: This story came from Bernard Chabbert in Pilot a few years ago.
The Patrouille de France were doing a show in Alpha Jets at a small airfield near Geneva: the singletons are doing their bit, in this case an opposition pass down the runway, immediate 360 deg turn with another pass on the opposite side of the turn, and a third over the runway again. A horizontal loop if you follow me. There was a small hill roughly in the centre of the "loop" and the chaps got unsighted. Moments later, one of pilots was dangling under his chute, a heartbeat from touchdown in a nice field (alfalfa?), his trusty steed burning nearby. The other aircraft landed safely at Geneva with a damaged wing and tailplane. The ejectee suffered some injuries, broken ankle or something liike that from landing awkwardly.
They figured the wingtip of the other aircraft had gone straight through the canopy of the one that crashed and triggered the ejection sequence! How close is close?
Watching "Have I Got News For You" reminds me that this happened at Annemasse!
The Patrouille de France were doing a show in Alpha Jets at a small airfield near Geneva: the singletons are doing their bit, in this case an opposition pass down the runway, immediate 360 deg turn with another pass on the opposite side of the turn, and a third over the runway again. A horizontal loop if you follow me. There was a small hill roughly in the centre of the "loop" and the chaps got unsighted. Moments later, one of pilots was dangling under his chute, a heartbeat from touchdown in a nice field (alfalfa?), his trusty steed burning nearby. The other aircraft landed safely at Geneva with a damaged wing and tailplane. The ejectee suffered some injuries, broken ankle or something liike that from landing awkwardly.
They figured the wingtip of the other aircraft had gone straight through the canopy of the one that crashed and triggered the ejection sequence! How close is close?
Watching "Have I Got News For You" reminds me that this happened at Annemasse!
Last edited by treadigraph; 7th Jun 2002 at 21:02.
Avoid imitations
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The Red Arrows were somewhat embarrassed a few years ago (Gnats) when a radio transmission went along the lines of: "Red * you are on fire!". There were THREE bangs.......
My Nav (flying with someone else at the time) bailed out of a CF-100 but not by choice. They were cruising along doing intercepts when the drogue gun fired and put a hole in the canopy. During the ensuing rapid descent the seat went off and out he went. The canopy took some of the engine cowling with it and the pilot decided that the nav knew something he did'nt, that was dire, and he bailed out.
During the investigation the officer in charge decided that the nav had bailed out deliberately and it was only when they found the seat with both handles still in place that they believed him.
During the investigation the officer in charge decided that the nav had bailed out deliberately and it was only when they found the seat with both handles still in place that they believed him.
Grandpa Aerotart
A friend of mine suffered a problem in a Mirage 111 (RAAF Butterworth) many years ago and left via the seat...from memory his engine failed.
After numerous one handed tugs on the central handle (between his legs) with no result...and down to VERY low altitude he grabbed with both hands and was gone in an instant...one swing under canopy and landed in a rice paddy or similar.
He relates that it was this incident that gave the answers to some fatalities that had been ,hitherto, unknown.
Seems that pulling asymetrically would not close whatever microswitches controlled the start of the sequence...he still suffers bad back pain...either from the force of the ejection or the awkward landing.
My father tells the story of when he was in RAF around 1950. While flying Meteors many people were ejecting, losing their legs and dieing. Finally it was discovered that tall chaps had a hip to knee measurement that would not allow their knees to pass behind the canopy bow.
Solution? All talls chaps, including Dad, transfered to Vampires!...No bang seat therefore no problem
Some months later he had reason to fling his Vampire into the channel one evening while transiting back from Europe...ejected canopy, rolled inverted and fell out...worked in Spits he figured!
Chuck.
After numerous one handed tugs on the central handle (between his legs) with no result...and down to VERY low altitude he grabbed with both hands and was gone in an instant...one swing under canopy and landed in a rice paddy or similar.
He relates that it was this incident that gave the answers to some fatalities that had been ,hitherto, unknown.
Seems that pulling asymetrically would not close whatever microswitches controlled the start of the sequence...he still suffers bad back pain...either from the force of the ejection or the awkward landing.
My father tells the story of when he was in RAF around 1950. While flying Meteors many people were ejecting, losing their legs and dieing. Finally it was discovered that tall chaps had a hip to knee measurement that would not allow their knees to pass behind the canopy bow.
Solution? All talls chaps, including Dad, transfered to Vampires!...No bang seat therefore no problem
Some months later he had reason to fling his Vampire into the channel one evening while transiting back from Europe...ejected canopy, rolled inverted and fell out...worked in Spits he figured!
Chuck.
jimgriff,
I was witness to, and also filmed, the collision between the 2 Mig 29s at Fairford and I also filmed the guys banging-out of the Sukhoi that scraped its tail at Paris Airshow.
Both fairly well documented but the interesting thing about the Paris crash was that the next day, the guy who was manning the Russian ejector seat stand was being treated as a hero and he spent the rest of the week beaming from ear to ear.
What is startling about an ejection is the speed at which it all happens, from the realisation that something has gone wrong to the man being under the chute is just so quick.
I was witness to, and also filmed, the collision between the 2 Mig 29s at Fairford and I also filmed the guys banging-out of the Sukhoi that scraped its tail at Paris Airshow.
Both fairly well documented but the interesting thing about the Paris crash was that the next day, the guy who was manning the Russian ejector seat stand was being treated as a hero and he spent the rest of the week beaming from ear to ear.
What is startling about an ejection is the speed at which it all happens, from the realisation that something has gone wrong to the man being under the chute is just so quick.
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair.
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I was sitting on a stranded train at Church Fenton back in either 82 or 83 watching a JP doing circuits.
After a few passes during which the a/c went behind trees then reappeared there was asudden lack of JP in the air.
A few seconds after this I was aware of a parachute and a messy smudge of smoke rising from the area of Church Fenton.
I was told later that the pilot had got away pretty intact from a low level exit. I don't know if anyone else is aware of this one.
After a few passes during which the a/c went behind trees then reappeared there was asudden lack of JP in the air.
A few seconds after this I was aware of a parachute and a messy smudge of smoke rising from the area of Church Fenton.
I was told later that the pilot had got away pretty intact from a low level exit. I don't know if anyone else is aware of this one.
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I witnessed two ejections from the same aircraft a Javelin of 64Sqn. at Tengah in 1966. The aircraft was downwind and turning onto finals when, apparently, the throttle locks engaged or whatever; he had no power, and somewhere around the Officers Mess end of the runway both crew decided to leave! The aircraft landed surprisingly intact.
It is unusual, no matter how many aircraft you have watched in the circuit, to see the canopy fly off then a seat and chute appear, followed by a delayed bang. Your initial reactions is one of surprise! Both crew were unhurt, though I believe the pilot had had a previous ejection.
I also witness the two pilots eject from a Victor at Cottesmore when all four engines wound down on approach at about 1500 feet. The last of the three back-seaters had just cleared the aircraft which was rapidly becomin a brick. I gather it was the first V-bomber crash from which all five crew survived. 15 Sqn?1961-62?
I also knew an armourer who triggered a drogue on a Venom of 208 Sqn, and was very very lucky indeed to sustain nothing more than minor injuries to an arm.
It is unusual, no matter how many aircraft you have watched in the circuit, to see the canopy fly off then a seat and chute appear, followed by a delayed bang. Your initial reactions is one of surprise! Both crew were unhurt, though I believe the pilot had had a previous ejection.
I also witness the two pilots eject from a Victor at Cottesmore when all four engines wound down on approach at about 1500 feet. The last of the three back-seaters had just cleared the aircraft which was rapidly becomin a brick. I gather it was the first V-bomber crash from which all five crew survived. 15 Sqn?1961-62?
I also knew an armourer who triggered a drogue on a Venom of 208 Sqn, and was very very lucky indeed to sustain nothing more than minor injuries to an arm.
I watched helpless as a Vulcan crashed over Malta in the mid-70's. The pilots got out as the right wing detached - apparently neither of then really remembered pulling the handles. The rear crew all perished, as did one person on the ground.
I do recall that the seats travelled at hell of a speed horizontally, and it seemed to take forever for the sequence to actually deploy the chutes.
I do recall that the seats travelled at hell of a speed horizontally, and it seemed to take forever for the sequence to actually deploy the chutes.
Just to set the record straight. The Phantom incident at Bournemouth happened when two F4's were taking off together. One veered off the r/way and the navigator ejected. The pilot continued the take off successfully and eventually landed at Lyneham. Having been to the display the previous day I was at home and the aircraft flew over my house with gear down and I thought that he must have problems.
Unfortunately, the navigator was badly injured.
This was in the good old days when Bournemouth used to alternate with the IATA show at Greenham.
Unfortunately, the navigator was badly injured.
This was in the good old days when Bournemouth used to alternate with the IATA show at Greenham.
Iconoclast
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"Ure you really screwed up this time"
I worked with an Ex Air Force Captain who flew F-80s during the Korean War. He was flying fairly close to the ground when he took several hits. His aircraft started to roll violently going through 360-degrees in a short period of time. He could not eject being so close to the ground in fear of being driven into the ground by the seat mortar round. He popped the canopy and released his belts hoping that the CENTRIFUGAL FORCE would throw him clear of the tail. It didn’t. On the way down he tried pulling the D ring and his mind told him that he was in fact doing that. He looked down and saw that his hand was on the D ring but his arm was disconnected above the elbow and that part of his arm was moving but nothing else. He popped the D ring with his other hand and on the way down he saw blood running from his pant leg. He had also suffered a separation of his leg when he hit the vertical fin. Seeing his bleeding leg and realizing the damage to his arm he uttered these fateful words “Ure you really *****d up this time". He was recovered by friendlies and later married his Nurse. He is living in Southern California and his first name is Jim.
Last edited by Lu Zuckerman; 23rd Jul 2002 at 20:21.
I'll mak siccar
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I did not see the ejection, but I was in a piston Provost when an excited jumble of unidentified radio voice announced that someone had just seen a Vampire crash.
I looked up and around and there at nine o'clock high was a figure descending by parachute. Three of us followed him down in very wide circles and gave bearings for his landing. He drifted for miles and miles before touchdown.
I looked up and around and there at nine o'clock high was a figure descending by parachute. Three of us followed him down in very wide circles and gave bearings for his landing. He drifted for miles and miles before touchdown.
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Somewhere back in the 60´s an F 104 Starfighter Pilot ejected during Flighttests in Manching (South Germany) while inverted.
He impacted much earlier as his plane, but not at much different speed
He impacted much earlier as his plane, but not at much different speed