A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
There's a mode selector in the cockpit that allows selection of who can initiate ejection, it was always set to both and never moved from that position in my squadron, I can't imagine it being any different throughout the Hornet community. Historically in last minute ejection situations it's more often been the WSO (backseater) that's pulled the handle and saved their lives in the two seaters.
The NACES seat used in the Hornet is an extremely good seat, I think it's got a 100% survival record for ejections that were in the martin-baker published envelope. It's a true zero-zero seat and if I remember my timeline correct the canopy goes as soon as the handle is pulled, the rear seat fires at .1 sec after that and the front seat goes at .3 sec. Everyone is clear of the aircraft by .5 sec after initiation. Unless they've changed it there's not thrust vectoring on the NACES seat, it relies upon the drogue chute to stabilize it. I'm sure there have been upgrades since I flew so my info might Someone asked if you'd ever land in the water instead of ejecting and the answer is no, not me anyhow. The chances of surviving that are slim. I think there have a couple of cases of F-16's dead sticking onto the runway after an engine failure on short final but for the most part the answer to that is no too, with any altitude most guys would choose to eject and take their chances with the seat.
One of the famous ones was when Neil Anderson landed a YF-16 in the grass along side a runway gear up at Carswell AFB. Engine was still turning and burning for that one. Met him a year later when he did an airshow at RAF Mildenhall when on his way for a demo in Paris.
This was a great example of the same seat doing its job. In this particular event the guy was doing a slow speed, high-AOA pass at an airshow when he lost an engine.
First. Canopy comes off
Seat fires. Note little pitot static tubes pop out above his head
Next pic in sequence. Seat is already rotating upright
I think that rotation relative to the jet simply seems that way because the the jet keeps rolling combined with the natural upright pull of the drogue from the top of the seat that pulls the seat upright (since it comes out of the head box on the seat) . I can't find anything official that says the NACES (common seat between the A-G Hornet) has any vertical seeking function. The pitot tubes that pop out are for airspeed calculations according to the Martin Baker website.
For folks that are interested in how many things happen when you pull the handle that site has a good sequence.
I do believe some of the Russian seat do steer upright. When I worked with a NAVAIR reserve unit one of the XO's was an engineer at Boeing working on their JSF prototype and he said the Russian (or were they Soviet then? I lose track ) seats were highly regarded but weighed 2X what the MB NACES seat did and he said they had zero excess weight to play with.
If something on the internet makes you angry the odds are you're being manipulated
Really hate to lose 'em like this. I lost too many friends, with whom I went to flight school, to stuff like this. Kinda numb now to the emotions of it all.
"All that the South has ever desired was that the Union, as established by our forefathers, should be preserved, and that the government, as originally organized, should be administered in purity and truth." – Robert E. Lee
Yeah, that Lethbridge crash was quick and dirty. There really is no time when things go south. My Dad was the first command survivor from a TF 102, I think the seventh ejection in the series. First five were all fatals, sixth was the 431 commander (dead) and one of my dad's buddies (lived, first ever survivor). He was at Perrin, running at low level as fast as the thing would go in full military power, when the fuel manifold burst a seam. He says from the time the board lit up red (and so did the mirrors) to clearing the aircraft was less than two seconds. Turned his neck into junk, literally broken, but none of us understood how badly until an MRI 28 years later. But the alternative was pretty stark -- the engine was three feet long when they finally dug it out of the crater. Not a splash, a crater.
Up hills slow, Down hills fast Tonnage first and Safety last.
Really hate to lose 'em like this. I lost too many friends, with whom I went to flight school, to stuff like this. Kinda numb now to the emotions of it all.
As you know it's the nature of the business. Very bad at points, and you started earlier than PRM and me when it was worse. I lost three close friends in the first three years and I lost track of the funerals over 20 years. You never forget them but as you know you examine each one and read the mishap reports and learn from them vow never to make that same mistake. But it happens.
If something on the internet makes you angry the odds are you're being manipulated
I honestly don’t remember what it does to get upright, if anything. You’d think with all the time I spent in the seat I’d remember…
The (ancient and uncomfortable!0 ESCAPAC I flew with did have stabilizing vanes to get one upright...I think. As to losses, man my first tour was hideous. A total of NINE in three and a half years, including a CO and an XO.
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
I honestly don’t remember what it does to get upright, if anything. You’d think with all the time I spent in the seat I’d remember…
The (ancient and uncomfortable!0 ESCAPAC I flew with did have stabilizing vanes to get one upright...I think. As to losses, man my first tour was hideous. A total of NINE in three and a half years, including a CO and an XO.
How are there so many losses like that and we, the public, don't hear anything about it? Or was that back in the day before the media could jump all over a story and have it broadcast within minutes of it happening?
I honestly don’t remember what it does to get upright, if anything. You’d think with all the time I spent in the seat I’d remember…
The (ancient and uncomfortable!0 ESCAPAC I flew with did have stabilizing vanes to get one upright...I think. As to losses, man my first tour was hideous. A total of NINE in three and a half years, including a CO and an XO.
How are there so many losses like that and we, the public, don't hear anything about it? Or was that back in the day before the media could jump all over a story and have it broadcast within minutes of it happening?
Mishaps have always been very public. NOT ONCE have they been suppressed.
A good principle to guide me through life: “This is all I have come to expect, standard lackluster performance. Trust nothing, believe no one and realize it will only get worse…”
This whole thread reminds me of the movie, Flight of the Intruder. There's a scene where they are flying a couple of A-6s to the beach, and they're strapping the flight surgeon into the BN position. The pilot says " If we have to eject the command will be 'EJECT! EJECT! EJECT!' " The flight surgeon says "Should I say 'roger' or 'ok' or...." and the pilot says " If you even say Huh? You'll be talking to yourself; cause I'll be gone!"
I happened to notice that Flight of the Intruder was playing on Starz Encore this morning. I put it on my DVR so I can watch it later.
Stupidity is expensive If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!
I once saw statistics on the number of aviators killed in training during WWII set against the number killed in action. I don't remember the numbers, but it was quite sobering.
Not a real member - just an ordinary guy who appreciates being able to hang around and say something once in awhile.
Happily Trapped In the Past (Thanks, Joe)
Not only a less than minimally educated person, but stupid and out of touch as well.
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) seats were highly regarded but weighed 2X what the MB NACES seat did and he said they had zero excess weight to play with.
