Ejection question
 

I once read about an ejection of a RN pilot, somewhere near Malta I recall, and the radio transcript was something along the lines of: "I have a problem with my engine -it's on fire and I shall be stepping outside for the time being".

Can anybody elaborate - I've completely forgot anything relevant to search for it by.

Cheers.

Was his name Captain Oates? :confused:

Decade?

Type?

How about, "Ejecting, cancel one late lunch"

Ejection Seats
 

This would be here then...:ok:. 800 Sqdn FAA Seahawk shot down by RAF Camera

With all due credit

Imagegear

Thanks ImageGear!!

Glad to be of assistance- I'm still collecting stories for the new revamped site I'm writing at the moment.

Might have known the pilot - who was it?

SeaHawk would seem to indicate that the accident took place on 27th January 1956 when Sea Hawk FGA4 WV849 '121' of 800 Sqdn, flown by Lt A.R. Campbell, was lost in deep water off Malta after take‑off from HMS Ark Royal.

Jimgriff, which site is this may I ask?

It's the one that I write, host and maintain:
www.ejectorseats.co.uk
www.ejectorseats.co.uk

Its a good web site Jim.
 

I remember another 800NAS ejection well. After a rather garbled broadcast over the ships main broadcast announcing to the effect that one of the sea jets had just crashed, there was a large and sustained cheer from all the general service types I was sat with (20 plus blokes closed up at an FRPP). 800 NAS were particularly hated by just about everyone on that ship except themselves.


Thankfully the chap involved survived the ejection. But it gave an insight into how the RN worked or works-not everyone loves the aircrew!

Hangar shuffle - Why hated??

4greens, I have been on a few ships where the resident 'flight' were not very popular. Some flights were friendly and interacted with the rest of the ships company whilst others joined in a whirlwind of admin and bull!!!!.

All forms of animosity tended to be at junior rate level, senior rates and officers - never saw any problems.

jimgriff...Good site, thanks!:ok:

That's a Sea Hawk sitting on the seabed on the Odyssey Explorer website, third down

Other Shipwrecks

http://www.shipwreck.net/images/tFirefly1.jpg

Jimgriff

Well done on producing a fantastic site for all ejection related stuff. Whats more it is prominent in Google Search even where the original URL is not known.

Imagegear

4 greens I digress again.
 

I've often asked myself the same question. The particular ship then in question...had been on continuous hard on flying ops for 3 full years and was approaching refit. Perhaps a feeling the ships company were under valued against the very visible performance of the CAG. Certainly noticeable how fed up alot of the JRs actually were, with many PVR cases and a strong disillusionment with the running of the ship.(This became very apparent when we had the carol service later on in the after Hangar, a lot of the ships company visibly worse for drink - closest I've ever seen a ship lose control of itself in all my many years).
It was a different world to now. The Fleet MAA, Commander, Captain were very uncompromising people and very old school. No wrens at sea then - Junior Rates were kept under a hard hand - it was more borstal at times than happy ship.
Maybe CAGs are just the people other people love to hate? Perhaps a lot of people were very unhappy with their lot? Perhaps people looked to the aircrew and CAG with some resentful envy, or the cause for their hard work? That was my first ever deployment and it taught me a lot.




ex matelot on another ship we, as Junior Rates Airmen (Squadron) were utterly treat with contempt by the Senior Rates and some of the Officers of the ship concerned. Another grim episode yours truly endured for a lot of years! I think that was simply down the the workings of that ship - ie how hard it was to keep it ticking over. For example, if the MEs wanted to access the engine spaces via the access lifts port and stbd side of the Hangar, this inevitably meant a hangarshuffle, possibly even ranging aircraft to the deck during flying ops. This is a difficult thing to do, as I'm sure you are aware - difficult to tie together. The grief we, as simple movers used to get from many of the ME seniors was, I recall unacceptable. But that's life at the bottom.
That was another ship where any aviation cock up was gleefully laughed at. Truthfully I am glad I am well out of it now.