The Death-Defying Mechanics of Fighter Jet Ejections | Cars Insider 

Should have interviewed Capt Mitchell on how he survived ejection at mach 10, another ejection in combat and still managed to steal a F14

Having worked for an ejection seat company myself, I think it's outrageous that you're claiming that ejections "leave most pilots with severe injuries." That was certainly true in the days of the Martin-Baker Mk.5 seats with their ballistic mortar charge to blast the pilot out to a very high peak altitude, which was needed because a series of parachutes had to come out and have time to inflate aerodynamically from sheer airflow - first drogue, then second drogue, then main. All of that took time, and so in order to advertise ground-level ejection capability the seat had to be kicked to a very high altitude in a very short time, which meant a brutal load on the aircrew's spine. The Mk.7 was an improvement, replacing the shock-loading mortar charge with a fast-burning rocket pack, but it still had the same aerodynamically-opening parachute train and so it still had to kick the aircrew to a high altitude in order to give enough time for everything to happen, and so spinal injuries were still pretty common. But in the 1970s a new concept came along, the Stencel SIII series of seats that dispensed with the sequentially-opening chutes, each dragging out the next in line. Instead it used a single drogue that only had to align a small rocket with the relative wind, and it was that rocket that pulled the main chute directly out of its housing on the seat as soon as the seat itself cleared the aircraft (for a ground-level ejection.) Once the main chute had reached full line stretch, a lanyard pulled a pin that fired a ballistic spreading charge, blowing out small weights that were attached to every other riser line, which completely expanded the chute in a fraction of the time needed by old-fashioned aerodynamic opening. Because this whole operation happened so quickly, the height needed to obtain a fully open chute was much less than with the Martin-Baker seats, and so a much smaller rocket impulse was needed to boost the seat up to that altitude, which meant much lower stresses on the pilot and far less potential for spinal injuries. The Stencel seat's development had been paid for by the US Navy, and so naturally the US Air Force wanted nothing to do with it. (That whole USN/USAF technology rivalry reached ridiculous levels in those days, hence the reason why one Service's decoy flares and chaff dispensers were square while the other's were round.) USAF spread all kinds of horror stories about opening shocks of ballistically-spread parachutes, which were demonstrably untrue from both test and real-world ejection data. But as soon as Stencel's patents expired, USAF immediately jumped on the bandwagon and incorporated key Stencel SIII features into its own range of seats, to the betterment of them all. And so today ejection injuries absolutely do not "leave most pilots with severe injuries" thanks to over half a century of technological refinement.

My dad ejected from his Harrier once after the engine disintegrated over Scotland. Kept the plane under control, picked his moment, ejected, landed in a tree, and went for a cup of tea with the farmer whose land he ended up on. The rescuers arrived to find him still round the kitchen table, mug in hand.

Once upon a time, I was an AMMO troop in the USAF, and we handled the storage and inspection of all of the explosive components that go into the chair and ejection system. It's honestly shocking just how many explosives of various shapes and sizes go into the cockpit of a fighter. The pilot is essentially sitting on a bomb, attached to a rocket, attached to a couple boxes of shotgun shells. In most fighter aircraft, the pilot does not sit in a position that has a direct line up and out of the cockpit without some noodley appendage being in the way. So, in addition to the explosive bolts and rockets to take the canopy off the plane, there is also an elaborate explosive train that moves most of the instrument and control panels out of the way of the ejecting pilot.

My girlfriend is head of recruitment for Martin Baker. "The company that makes pretty much every ejection seat for NATO" and the passion she has for the company is amazing !

I was a USN AME Ejection Seat Mech. From 1972-1985. I once held the highest grade achieved in the Navy AME A school from 1972-78. I taught Navy A school from 1975-76 and the AME C (advanced) 1976-78. I have had two Ejection Seats that I installed/final inspected eject under flight conditions, both pilots survived to continue flying. The fact that the Aircrew depended on your work to save their lives was satisfying work.

My dad had to punch out of a F-100/USAF over France, early 1960's on a trip back to the UK. Lost his engine. Helo'ed out after pickup, he was drinking martini's at the O Club that evening. Bought his parachute rigger a half gallon of his favorite; became honorary member of the Caterpillar Club. (all pilots who have ejected and lived). And still around...@92!

Gosh, the older jettison mechanics were SUPER sketchy!! Imagine being pinned to a rock shaped like a chair by these big mouse traps that'll restrain your limbs, then get blown up by a series of explosions. 50/50 chance of survival, 100% chance of bad injuries.

In 1991, my sister-in-law was dating an American Carrier Fighter Pilot who was based on Carriers. I can't remember the name. He was taking off and just as they left the deck the engines flamed out. No way to save the plane so he and his RIO ejected. Both survived but he was actually 2 inches shorter due to the compression from the ejection. It took him 6 months to get over his injuries, and his RIO about 8 months. They save your life but leave you with lifetime injuries.

When you can't fly McDonnell-Douglas, fly Martin-Baker! I used to work on the martin-Baker GRU-7 on F-14's and have 4 successful ejections. I saw 2 on the flight deck. They are an amazing piece of engineering, and all of the steps in working on them were written in blood. I had a friend who tried to take a short cut, and he ejected himself into the hangar ceiling and died. He broke the very specific rules that were drilled into all of us from training school, and reiterated every time we worked on them. He also put others at risk, and caused several hundred thousands of dollars of damage because of his hubris, which he was always way over confident in his abilities. It's a shame, and I miss him, though his stupidity and arrogance are almost unforgivable doing what we did.

My late uncle, suffered 2 fractured neck vertebrae and broken left arm ejecting from F-4C in Oct 67.

Great video! I was a Parachute Survival Equipment Specialist at Nellis AFB back in 88-92. The ACESII is an amazing system.

On 3 Sep 68 I was a pilot in the backseat of F-4C 64-681 flying out of Cam Ranh Bay VN to support some grunts on the ground that needed close air support. On our first pass dropping Mk -82 high drag bombs we got hit with 14.7 mm AAA. We were at 500 ft and 450 kts. The Jet started to roll violently and my front seater yelled EJECT, EJECT, EJECT! Well after the first EJECT he was talking to himself - Thank God the Martin Baker HH-7 I was strapped to worked as advertised --- it was pretty violent and I don't know how long I was in the chute but the next thing I knew I was hanging in a 100 ft tree about 30 feet off the ground. I had lost my helmet, watch and gloves from the wind blast (BTW air at 450 kts is not a gas but solid 🙂). I was busted up pretty badly and could hardly move. If it wasn't for some very brave Army aircrews (flying Hueys and a LOC) who braved some pretty heavy ground fire I wouldn't be here today.

I was the last Naval FRAMP instructor for F4 Martin Baker ejection seats; they are very precise and life savers but they can also kill you with one mistake. Can't believe that was 40 some years ago.

I had similar experience while using desktop computer when my chair was pretty low, I just forced myself to pull the lever and my hydraulic chair lifted me 15 inches per second, so many G's, I'll never forget the day!

This is so fascinating. I had no idea just how complex this was, amazing engineering.

I was in the USAF and I remember spending many hours seating in ejection seats while working on aircraft avionic systems. Yes we installed safety pins to make the seats safe, but the explosives are still armed in them. You get use to seating in the seats, but it is still a little un nerving the first few times you have to sit in one. Especially when you know that if your didn't install the safety pins and pulled the ejection handles you would activate the seat and it would eject you.

This was really good, learning about the extremes that some humans either put them selves through or design is incredibly entertaining, or maybe a better way to say it is the extremes people put themselves through by design.

I understand the hesitation in ejecting. In my very first solo skydive my parachute didn't open correctly, and I had a debate with myself as to when and whether to cut away and use my reserve. In hindsight it's stupid, but it's what I did.

I’m an egress tech in the af which means I work and maintain ejection seats, I currently work on the A.C.E.S. II ejection seat that goes into the f-22 raptor, let me tell you, they barely go into the actual amount of stuff that goes into the seat itself and how it works, like there’s so much stuff and so many things that happen in under a second, it’s crazy

That's got to be a scary feeling when you have to eject! Especially at night and off shore. I can't imagine what goes thru a pilot's mind on the way down; even with your training kicking in.

Maverick lost his best friend on ejecting manoeuvres

When I was a kid, my neighbor and myself were in a navy jet at an airshow pushing all the buttons, the kid that got in after us got ejected out of the aircraft. It was horrible, I will never forget that day. Happened at Willow Grove Nas Pennsylvania.

I was hoping they would mention the thrust vectoring some of these seat have, very cool.

Kudos to the pilots who fly these jets.

squadron leader asim jawad Of Bangladesh Air Force was died in 9/5/24 during ejection from fighter jet YAK 130....He bravely tried to control the plane which was engulfed with fire and took the plane away from the crowded place to a river..at last moment he tried to save himself by ejection but it was too late...salute for our bravest pilot

Living pilots often mention that they debated whether to stay with the plane a few more seconds, some don't mention this sort of thinking. We don't hear from the pilots who decided badly in that sort of situation. I recommend the method standard for the RAF in the 1970s to 1980s when I was in: make the decision to eject, both when and why, in the safety and comfort of the crew room. Do not wait for a rapidly-developing situation to make the decision for you.

Huge respect to this man.

I was involved in a rescue on Dec 2002 where 4 pilots ejected out of a B1-B at 17k feet while inverted (what pilots told us). When we got to them 3 hours later they were all alive but pretty banged up. They said it was the most violent thing they had been through. That was a crazy night for everyone.

Wonderful video, glad you lived to share this with us yourself

I worked on the Martin Baker SJU 17 v2a for the super hornet loved every minute of it

One of my school physics teachers was a retired RAF navigator. He had been grounded mid career after his second ejection from a Javelin.

F-111 aardvark....That eject system is a module....a Pod ...... unique Thanks for your information

Great video, didn't think I'd end up so interested.

That’s how my grandpa went to school everyday when he was a kid.

the seats in the F4 had straps that went around your leg just above the knee and straps that went around the ankles short straps around the ankles long straps around the legs. you didnt want to mix them up or you would leave the plane with broken legs.they served to pull you into the seat to become more compact. also the F4 had a face curtain in stead an ejection handle between the legs

Thank you for your service.

Nothing like replaying the same five clips ten times. Really good stuff.

Determining whether a problem is fixable or not in ONE SECOND proves that these guys are a breed apart.

Has an Air Force avionics technician. It was drilled to us anytime we went on on a flight line or even in the hangers you absolutely must identify every pen, which always had a red flag on it, and count them and know for sure that all pens were in the canopy and the seat so it was safe to get in there and work on them then the other big hazard that a lot of people didn’t realize was that if you had anything protruding from your pockets, i.e. screwdrivers or whatever tools you might be carrying around they could accidentally pull a flag or pull handle, so it was drilled into us day after day and thank God we all had safety on our minds first no incidents

Back in the 1960s my dad worked for a metal manufacturing company in England, which was the only company at that time that could make the alloys that were used by Martin Baker. I remember they had an ejector seat on display at the factory on the occasion of a Royal visit (minor royal, not the Queen) and I was fascinated by it as a 7 year old schoolkid.

I’m at NAWS China Lake and it’s a blessing to see rows of F/A-18s everyday. Hooyah!

This was super interesting. Subscribed

I've always wanted one of those ejection seats in the passenger seat of my truck. 😂

I saw a pilot and rear eject out of a harrier in the late 80s. The rear survived. These were Martin Baker Zero Zero seats.

You’re the man, brother I know it’s got to be one of the most scariest decisions you’ve ever made

Thanks for sharing the valuable experience 👍

No wonder in many Airforce like Indian Airforce it's rare for an airman to return back to fighter jet flying after an ejection experience. I used to wonder why and after seeing this graphical video , it drives home the intensity of the entire process on the human body.

Salute to these brave pilots

Good chat, thank you.

Was an AME in the Navy. I was in charge of all the survival and egress for f-18 super hornets. The ejection seat is really no joke.

I believe one clip showed it, but there are some planes where the ejection seat has to punch through the canopy to eject. Talk about adding more things to the ejection equation!

Y'all should do a video on Lt Col Rankin who ejected from a crusader in a thunderstorm. I spent my entire career on jump status, and what he experienced in that thunder storm was my nightmare scenario on a jump.

Thanks for the video! I'll keep this in mind next time I take the ol' Eurofighter out for a spin 🙏

Thank you for the sacrifices you made for our countrys service

A few minor injuries vs death.... that 90% survival rate also includes those that ejected well outside of the ejection envelope (ie. Inverted at 500ft, 90⁰ nose down at a few thousand feet, etc)

Ah, nothing like watching a video about fighter jet ejection seats on *car insider*

I'm totally blown away wow

It's thrilled me, I had worked on ejection system for around 15 years and had chance to speak couple of fighter pilot who ejected. Yes hesitation and timings are two great components in ejection

Some bombers, like the B-52, have ejection seats too. The main charge is entirely ballistic, making for a lot more instantaneous Gs than the rocket seat used in most fighters.

Not to mention the forward momentum of the jet. Chances are you will be moving at least 200 mph when you launch out of the cockpit

Nice video.Thank You for your service Sir..I,hand salute you..

Jesus. I was done when I heard there were explosives underneath the seat. I'd love a more in depth documentary of this. I was just a regular soldier in the ARMY, and I was clueless about the severity of what happens. I definitely have been hoodwinked by television and movies. God Bless our military.

I've worked on USAF ejection seats since 1997. A couple false statements in this video. When the pilots pull the D-Ring( the handle between the legs) it does not send an electrical signal. It fires two explosive Initiators. Atleast on legacy aircraft i.e. F-15, F-16, A-10. Second false statementa motor doesn't separate the pilot from the seat, explosives and physics do. The main parachute is fired out of what's called a mortar. Just like see in the war movies where they drop the round down the tub and it shoots it out....same thing kind of happens with the chute except it is locked into the mortar while installed in the seat,, and when it's needed during the ejection a mortar cartridge is fired and pushes the chute out of the seat. Before the mortar is fired a different cartridge is fired releasing the lap belts, shoulder straps, and seat pan (so the survival kit stays with the pilot). A lot of moving parts goes into an ejection and it's process that happens very quickly. Also a lot of factors go into a successful ejection that i didn't cover here.. It is a violent process but more crew members survive the mishap these days thankfully.

I used to pack 'chutes for ejection seats. It's a very exacting process where you literally go by the book, step by step no matter if it's the first or the fiftieth one you've packed.

Anastase Dragomir (1896-1966) was a distinguished Romanian inventor, most famous for his "catapultable cockpit" patent (with Tănase Dobrescu) as an early form of ejection seat, although preceded by Everard Calthrop's 1916 compressed air ejection seat, and others.

Notable. Qué interesante. Un outsider total como yo se puede enterar de esto sobre lo que no tiene idea, ni se le hubiera ocurrido ... 👌👌

*Thank you very much for this informative and interesting video! I'll never think about a pilot ejecting the way I used to!*

While they are the majority, not all aviators who who fly in ejection seat equipped aircraft have been fighter pilots in fighter jets. A small number of non-pilot flight crew in certain aircraft have been equipped with ejection seats. Examples: Air Force B-1 and B-52 bombers. Navy S-3 Viking Anti-Sub jet. Army OV-1 Mohawk Surveillance plane.

Who told this guy an ejection seat is the most complex thing on a fighter jet? That's not even close to being true. 🤣

Incredible! If there are any Vets reading this, Thank You. (ESPECIALLY Vietnam Vets)

This USAF Vet wants to give a HUGE shout out to USAF PJs- "So That Others May Live"!

In a2-seater the pilot commands”eject eject eject” but the other crewman will never hear the third - pilot is already gone.

I got ejected from a bar once.

My first tour in Iraq we had two F16 pilots accidentally collide in a bad sandstorm and they both had to eject. Neither one of them survived the ejection. They were both knocked unconscious and the wind drug them several miles across the desert. One ended up tangled in the perimeter wire of our FOB and the other was a couple miles past it. Crazy shit.

Thank🙏 you for sharing

Russian pilots are extremely good at ejecting

Massive respect to these incredibly brave and hardy men defending our country.

Hesitation.. procrastinating...🎉🎉🎉 beautiful lesson

Awesome vid😎

Ah, the ejection seat. Only a man from Northern Ireland would be crazy enough to come up with something so bonkers.

Chuck Yeager said he only did five more take offs than landings. Arguably the most bad ass pilot who ever lived.

I believe that all pilots who eject from a Martin Baker get a special tie. That is a very very exclusive club.

Channel name : "Car's insider" Video : *P L A N E S* ain't complaining tho

The WWII Japanese Zero was an example of the Japanese code of Bushido. Considered modern day samurais they knew there was virtually no escape from their, in some ways, fragile but very potent aerial weapon platform. Designed purely as offensive system with little or no pilot protection as armor plate or self sealing tanks. It was however very nimble at lower dogfight speeds and in maneuver could out perform a similar heavier, due to self protection, aircraft . In the hands of an expert flyer it was very formidable all things being considered. It was essentially victory or return upon your shield .🛡 Born to the house of a warrior “ grasp the long and the short swords ⚔️ and to die “.

Looks cool, nuff said

I read a book by Doddy Hay, one of Martin Bakers original test pilots during the early development of ejector seats. He ejected many times and suffered extensive injuries as a result. The book is called "The Man in The Hot Seat". It's a good read.

I think goose would disagree with the death defying part

Fighter pilots are literally sitting on a Hot Seat 💺🔥✈️

Martin Baker use a WWII Gloster Meteor (see 00:22) as their test bed. I’ve worked at their factory and it’s almost “ men in sheds” where they’re made but absolutely fascinating and Lord do they make a beautiful product !

That was uplifting

I am curious to know about the types of injuries people sustain, 10-30% of all ejections resulting in injuries or deaths is nothing to sneeze at. Vertebrae? Neck? Arms? Legs? Where? How? Why?

They should have this for players who get ejected during a game.

Very Extremely interesting

Scary stuff! ✈️

At that point in your life, you're probably better characterized as "death-accepting" whatever the outcome, coming from Marine infantry. 😅

Amazing. Now I'm going to be analyzing and thinking of ways to perfect an ejection to the point of ease. The cockpit comes out wings spread and a single engine fires and...

Totally awesome 👌

Maverick said it right “you don’t think, you think up there you’re dead”

The force is so powerful, you are lucky enough to even be allowed to pilot again