Ejection seat question
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 556
Likes: 8
From: London UK
Ejection seat question
If an aircraft has a command ejection system, would safety pins in the 'other' seat prevent it being ejected? The safety pins I've seen just prevent the handle being used but I wondered if command ejection mechanisms work differently.
Joined: Nov 2005
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 12,446
Likes: 367
From: Wildest Surrey
With the Hawk, command eject is selected to rear seat unless the instructor occupies the front seat. On my one Hawk flight, one of the 'strappers in' called out 'command eject off' to the front seater meaning if I went accidentally, the front seater wouldn't be ejected too.
I can't speak for other aircraft seats.
The seat pins are stowed along the right hand side of the canopy and if any of the stowages are empty when the canopy is shut, the flight line mechanic will not allow engine start.
I can't speak for other aircraft seats.
The seat pins are stowed along the right hand side of the canopy and if any of the stowages are empty when the canopy is shut, the flight line mechanic will not allow engine start.
Last edited by chevvron; 4th March 2025 at 12:14.
Joined: Dec 2007
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 2,009
Likes: 156
From: Westnoreastsouth
Red Arrows I believe retained the original canopy rail stowages because the glare shield had smoke lights mounted - also XX341 (Astra) at ETPS retained the original canopy rail stowage due to modified cockpits.
Joined: Nov 2005
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 12,446
Likes: 367
From: Wildest Surrey
My flight was in '77 and I'm positive the pins were on the stbd side adjacent to my right shoulder (definitely none on the glareshield) so maybe they were 'modded' after my flight.
Joined: Dec 2007
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 2,009
Likes: 156
From: Westnoreastsouth
Hi Chevvron
The pin stowages were always on the left side - there were of course 2 x pins fitted on the RH side (MDC Handle at the front + the MDC sear by your right shoulder) - the MDC sear pin being removed before strap in and the MDC pin removed before engine start.
The original final 2 pin stowage (Seat Pan Pin and MDC Handle Pin) was on the LH Canopy Rail (as I posted above) but was modded to the glare shield in the 1980's to be more visible to the ground crew (as I mentioned above).
Originally the start crew would always be on the left because the steps were on the left (both built in steps + ground equip steps) and the canopy hinged to the right (hinges on the right) - we normally did single man starts at Brawdy when I was there 1977-80 and I continued doing single man starts on and off until well into the 2000's (note - I never was based at Valley
) - I know Valley did 2 man starts !
The pin stowages were always on the left side - there were of course 2 x pins fitted on the RH side (MDC Handle at the front + the MDC sear by your right shoulder) - the MDC sear pin being removed before strap in and the MDC pin removed before engine start.
The original final 2 pin stowage (Seat Pan Pin and MDC Handle Pin) was on the LH Canopy Rail (as I posted above) but was modded to the glare shield in the 1980's to be more visible to the ground crew (as I mentioned above).
Originally the start crew would always be on the left because the steps were on the left (both built in steps + ground equip steps) and the canopy hinged to the right (hinges on the right) - we normally did single man starts at Brawdy when I was there 1977-80 and I continued doing single man starts on and off until well into the 2000's (note - I never was based at Valley
) - I know Valley did 2 man starts !
Joined: Nov 2005
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 12,446
Likes: 367
From: Wildest Surrey
Hi Chevvron
The pin stowages were always on the left side - there were of course 2 x pins fitted on the RH side (MDC Handle at the front + the MDC sear by your right shoulder) - the MDC sear pin being removed before strap in and the MDC pin removed before engine start.
The original final 2 pin stowage (Seat Pan Pin and MDC Handle Pin) was on the LH Canopy Rail (as I posted above) but was modded to the glare shield in the 1980's to be more visible to the ground crew (as I mentioned above).
Originally the start crew would always be on the left because the steps were on the left (both built in steps + ground equip steps) and the canopy hinged to the right (hinges on the right) - we normally did single man starts at Brawdy when I was there 1977-80 and I continued doing single man starts on and off until well into the 2000's (note - I never was based at Valley) - I know Valley did 2 man starts !
The pin stowages were always on the left side - there were of course 2 x pins fitted on the RH side (MDC Handle at the front + the MDC sear by your right shoulder) - the MDC sear pin being removed before strap in and the MDC pin removed before engine start.
The original final 2 pin stowage (Seat Pan Pin and MDC Handle Pin) was on the LH Canopy Rail (as I posted above) but was modded to the glare shield in the 1980's to be more visible to the ground crew (as I mentioned above).
Originally the start crew would always be on the left because the steps were on the left (both built in steps + ground equip steps) and the canopy hinged to the right (hinges on the right) - we normally did single man starts at Brawdy when I was there 1977-80 and I continued doing single man starts on and off until well into the 2000's (note - I never was based at Valley
) - I know Valley did 2 man starts !
Joined: Dec 2007
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 2,009
Likes: 156
From: Westnoreastsouth
- we used to attend seat training every 12 months - in fact I still have my 2 company seat training booklets (covering Harrier all marks and Hawk) from when I was at Dunsfold
