Eject! Eject! | Jon "Herbie" Hancock's Phantom Story (In-Person) 

Hell of a story, but made absolutely stellar by a delightfully detailed and descriptive storyteller - Herbie’s a natural and seemed to make life easy for the interviewer, who provided the occasional encouraging nudge. You’ve a real talent for finding enticing stories and delivering immensely engaging one-on-one interviews with the guys who lived them. The result is just outstanding. Thank you.

A big day out…That’s one way of putting it!! Incredible story & details 👍

An amazing story. I remember it being on the news in Scotland. Glad everyone got out

What a story and what a story-teller! Amazing!

I was 111sqn ground crew when this happened! Glad you made it out in one piece and are still doing OK

Good stuff. I wondered if Herbie would mention that it was a 43 jet they crashed. I remember being in the airmen's mess having lunch when the buzz went round that a jet had been lost. The first time I'd experienced that. I think at that time Mick Hall and Mick Wilcock were the lads working in the parachute bay. Both sadly passed now. Thanks to Herbie for recognising them and the others who work on this kit hoping it may never be used.

Over the years I've heard a fair few ejection seat stories but that was by far the most interesting, I suppose because of his explanation on what led up to the event and then his very personal experience thereafter. Thanks for sharing.

Great interview/story telling. Glad Herbie made it back to provide the insight into what it's like to bailout and end up in the drink. My dad had a great story about being pushed up, in a storm cell to coffin corner. High speed buffet/Low speed stall. The prospect of ejecting into a thunderstorm was not something he really wanted to do. With Herbie's ejection at low altitude, I was amazed that there was an instant when he considered riding it in. A riveting story!

Fabulous interview - one of your best. I think you manage to ask about four questions only and "Herbie" just took off from there. Very engaging. Fun with a touch of pathos. Thanks!

Fantastic what an amazing story like how he credits everyone in the interview really enjoyed this one hope there will be more on ejection stories.

i was on 43 when it was f3s,,, groundcrew,,, so i really get this story,, and i was dumped in the sea outside belfast and rescued by a wessex to having been volunteered in my absence for air sea rescue training,, it was so cold i pissed myself as soon as i hit the water having been pushed out of the wessex at 20 ft,,, watching the loady scim over the waves directing himself by using various bits of his body was amazing,,, bang clip gone,,, then the slow rotation looking up at the chopper,,, newer lost an aircraft in my time in the raf but i do remember a state one when at leuchars where a 111 f3 took off and got stuck in a uncomanded roll and they banged out,, was told the pilot had his mobile on him and called the CO while floating down,, the nav was in fact a lecky sgt just hitching a opportunistic ride to leeming where he lived as the jet was overweekending there for an excersise at st mawgan,, 111,,, always crashing jets,,, happy days,,,

Amazing story and storyteller. It’s really nice to hear Herbie’s appreciation of the other roles that keep the RAF flying. Safety Equippers (Squippers) Armourers (knuckles drag on the floor 😅) and Fairies (guess the trade!). I served at Leuchars in the 90’s, amazing place, people….and beer calls. OMG, what a place to be when you’re young. Great interview and can’t wait for the next one! Cheers from a Fairy….the best trade 😂

Concise, fluent, wonderful delivery. Told the story very well.

Good lord, what a fantastic account. Wonderfully told, with typical humour, only found in the services and overall, with incredible humility. I'm nothing to do with the RAF myself, but when I was a young lad, my uncle was Group Captain of 111 back in the late 70s / early 80s. I was privileged enough to look around Leuchars and later Coningsby. I've never lost my respect for the RAF pilots and Navigators, and similarly, I never lost my love of the Phantom. Thanks again.

Great story. I was a winchman (and winch op) during my 37+ years in the Royal Air Force. And I fully appreciate how excited 'Lenny' would be En Route to a successful ejection when no one died! I think that I worked with Lenny in Northern Ireland in 89-91. Glad to see the use of 'tip-ex' in the log book too...... just like mine!

Ejection stories are always fascinating. Thank goodness I never had to do it myself.

Loved it. Like Mr. Humphreys explaining how he once took the measures of an extraordinarily handsome male customer!

Hell of a story! USAF F-4 WSO with 2,000 hours. Loved the MB MK VII seat - never used it. Also loved having Control Stick and Rudder Pedals. Simple matter of fact I had to take the aircraft from the FUF on the range at night as the aircraft was rolling through 60 degrees of bank while he was changing switches. On another occasion I recovered the airplane when the FUF went blind from a rapid decompression at 40,000 feet. What would have happened had I not had controls? We will never know. Also flew the jet repeatedly to give the FUF a break on long missions and took over in the weather and in formation when the FUF got 'the leans'. We had Command Ejection of the R/C/P any time the FUF ejected. A Command Selector Valve in the R/C/P could select Command Ejection of the F/C/P if rotated. This was a Crew Coordination Briefing item for all missions. In over 1,000 sorties I only had a scant few FUFs tell me NOT to rotate the handle. Most felt that if it was bad enough for me to go, we would sort it out on the ground! Spent one night in The Mess at Leuchers (sp?) . A real class act. I was blown away when I noted all the artwork presented to The Mess on the occasion of the retirement of many officers. When I retired I hoped to start a tradition and presented the Nellis Officer's Club a framed piece of aviation art with a plaque appropriately engraved . I failed.

Brilliantly told! What an experience....

Amazing - thank you for such a fine story so brilliantly told.

Great episode, I was locked into it the whole time!

What a story and indeed story teller. So impressed by the details he can recall from such a traumatic event. Another great interview.

Dude you just narrated an entire book in vivid detail 😂 wow. Fantastic mate!

Fantastic survival story vividly recounted.

Fantastic story! Thanks for sharing

Awesome interview and story Herbie, and well done, Mike, for getting him to tell it!

I joined Tremblers in Jan 88 as Big Jengo. The St Andrews cross was spoken about in hushed terms but hearing the detail after all these years is fascinating. Great to see Herbie looking so well and see the old jets. Really good interview. 👍😎

Loved the story kept engaged the whole way through 👍🏼

Incredible story, another fantastic interview. 😀

Amazing, kept me glued to the screen.

Great story and storyteller!

Absolutely brilliant.

Excellent story - many thanks for sharing.

Wow, what an episode! One of your best ever, although to be fair it's mainly Herbie 😂

Much awaited, much appreciated excellent insights as always from you.

Great story 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Loved this one!

Riveting video!!! Thank you.

as ex phantom ground crew found it fascinating., never knew there was a 2 sticker, was the navs radar display removed because that was basically between his legs when in use, or was it just left in the stow position..

Spot on :)

Having very limited formation experience in propeller aircraft (Pitts), I'd be interested to understand how a backseater (no matter how good) could be responsible for station keeping and collision avoidance. Was there some standard language to direct the pilot? Love to know more.

Judging by the amount of time they spend in the bar, I'm surprised they don't collide more often! 😂

Great story, fascinating and detailed insight. What was the final outcome of the BOE? Presumably JH didn't carry the can for the mid-air?

So, what is that on the top cockpit canopy glass behind him ? Is it for heated glass, a radio antenna, or just a graphic design ?

After “Eject, eject, eject, don’t, don’t, don’t” sounds quite confusing and contradictory, what was the trigger for then pulling the handle?

As they say you meet your maker in a Martin - baker

Done

9000 -> 6

Amazing account Herbie! I was on 19 and remember the “incident” but to get the full back story is epic! Thankfully never needed the Martin Baker option but glad it all worked out for you guys!! As they say there but for the grace of God! Cheers “Throb” ex 19 Wildenrath. TDPU this year?

I joined Tremblers in Jan 88 as Big Jengo. The St Andrews cross was spoken about in hushed terms but hearing the detail after all these years is fascinating. Great to see Herbie looking so well and see the old jets. Really good interview. 👍😎

What a story and what a teller of, and well done interviewer for letting the Man speak. Thanks for letting us here it and thanks to the very long roll call of peeps who did stuff to ensure that you made it back to tell us about it, great that you mentioned them too.

I’m humbled listening to this incredible story, and Jon’s gratitude and recognition of all the other trades and ground crew who contributed to his successful escape, survival and rehabilitation.

Martin Baker have a reputation of being the best ejector seats in the world. It’s testament to how good they are when other nations buy Martin Baker ejector seats for their own aircraft. The US Navy was a big user of them and to be honest the F-35 is an American product, so for a Martin Baker seat to be selected for the F-35 rather than an American seat says a lot.

@JonHancock-go1tu Firstly, I'd like say what an amazing tale you told. Secondly, how well you told it. Thirdly, I loved reading the way the newspaper articles inflated the time you spent in the sea! I wonder if the second journalist read the first article and thought he'd make it "better"? I've read John Nichols superb book and it really does highlight the relentless search for perfection, dedication and unwavering skill of the Martin-Baker team. It gave a profound insight into their work that would otherwise be lost to us lay people. I used to work as a nurse in the NHS, so I've got a bad back from years of lifting patients. Perhaps it's a good thing the Cessna 152 that I fly nowadays doesn't have an ejection seat :D

I really cannot see this interview being surpassed. Great editing, and allowing Herbie to tell the story, his way, without interruption. BZ

Wow...what a story. Very well detailed with lots of typical Air Force humor too. Thanks.

HEY John Boy!!!! Phil Roberts here!!! 18 the A Team!!! You always were an impresive guy and we knew you would do well, as for chosing to swim in the North Sea, well that is a different matter. You must have visited AKR when I was OC TASF there. Would love to catch up. Cheers, Phil.

What a Story. And he is such a cool Guy. Really love this VIdeo. GREAT JOB😍

I made a demonstration parachute jump into the sea south of Sydney, Australia. I'd been given what resembled children's 'water wings' as floatation gear. I was wearing a helmet, a cotton jumpsuit, leather boots and two smoke cannisters on my ankles. On the descent, I lost my floatation gear. After hitting the water, all the gear started getting heavy to the point where I was struggling to keep afloat. When a boat came to pick me up, they ran straight over the suspension lines of the parachute and in an attempt to extract themselves were ignoring my call for assistance. I could see me drowning twenty feet from the boat. When I finally got in the boat, I was instructed to get out and untangle the lines from the propeller!

Brilliantly told. Enjoyed every minute!

Brilliant. Thank you both.

Thanks.

Brilliant just brilliant...Dad was ground crew on 111

What a fantastic story!

excellent interview, and so glad he is here to talk about it

That was a fantastic interview, I really enjoyed it. Thank you!

What a story teller!

'Big day out' (pardon his pun)

What a lucid commentary. Excellent.

2:18 “Early on a Monday morning in the briefing room, mugs of tea in hand…” 😂 was a more quintessentially (modern) British sentence yet uttered?

Herbie, one of my very capable, and patient, navs on the F3. Well told, mate!

Just catching up with Aircrew interview, excellent episode! Would like to see you interview Rory Underwood, he did a recent one with some who clearly knew very little about aviation, Rory needs a better flying interview

I wondered how much more powerful the spey engine was Than the J79

And great story well told.

Would be great if you could get a british apache pilot on for an interview?

What if you eject over 10,000ft MSL but the ground is at 9,800ft MSL? Will you hit a mountain sill in your seat?

Excellent interview!!!

What was the outcome of the board of enquiry?