How on earth could this happen ?

[fixerupper]

Skipped the article because of the paywall. Having a closer look at what you can see it wasn't a retired air force member just a defence company executive

And guessing it is a normal kitted out aircraft not anything special for demonstration.

Would have thought that would have been a key detail of the pre-flgiht briefing. What NOT to grab atleast.

Pay wall what paywall ...it's the Grauniad...

 

[Mick Annick]

Seems a bit strange that a Frenchman wants to go that fast, the only reason they eat snails is because its the only thing they can catch

Bob

Steady on, that’s my neighbours you’re talking about

 

[Hopefuldave]

Ejector seats have saved numerous lives - they've also killed a few...

I did a RAF first aid*/recovery course when I was a nipper (well, a short, stout teenager), instructor reckoned that if the pilot was unconscious in the plane and it was on the ground the first-aider was usually the first to die - they kept grabbing the big yellow-and-black handle between his legs to lift the pilot out...

Dave H. (the other one)

*mostly aimed at battlefield, the cold war was a bit warm then - so downed aircraft, landmine injuries and bullet wounds featured quite prominently...

 

[mike os]

Just doing it's job... operation error.

Rate these things work at you have no chance of intervening once the system is triggered

 

[minimutly]

Heard a first hand account of an apprentice that triggered a seat and actually managed to dive out. The enquiry panel wouldn't believe he managed it. The guy telling the story actually knew of a fitter that got spat through a roof (bits of him anyway). An ex raf guy I know quite well told of someone who ejected and when they got to him both his eyeballs were on his cheeks. The first man on the scene was a doctor - saved his sight.
Lastly, a story told at the fireside of a bereavement, while discussing the deceased's grandson, and the fact that he'd been rejected by the RAF from pilot training due to "ear problems" his aunt said - "it was probably in case he'd have to ejaculate".
I daren't look at the wife lest we'd start laughing.

 

[Hopefuldave]

I had the opportunity to go up in a fast jet trainer (2-seat Gnat) when I was in the ATC, they were still making you do an ejector seat simulator drill first - I blame it for my height, I'm sure I was 6" shorter after being hoisted 30 feet by an 88mm blank under my jacksy....

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[brightspark]

bit like sitting on an airbag

idiots

 

[JEZGUZ]

One of my uncles was in the RAF and he told me about an incident that happened. A fitter or pilot, can't remember which as it happened a long time back, was sitting in the plane and set off the ejector seat, sent him through the hangar roof, dead on landing. He thought it might have been deliberate as whoever was in the seat had to reach up overhead and grab the big loop and pull it down to fire the seat.

 

[hermetic]

A bit too much french laissez faire, reading the article, if he could float off his seat, and lost his helmet during the ejection, he was not strapped in properly, neither was his helmet fastened properly, which indicates that no one checked it! I dont know if ground crew do those checks on this type of jet, but it is certeainly the responsibility of the pilot to make sure his passenger is properly briefed, and properly strapped in and helmeted! In the UK, court martials would be pending, in France, probably just the famed gallic shrug...........................

 

[colnerov]

The Pub Landlord Al Murray quote springs to mind "Where would we be if we didn't have rules...France"

 

[marlinspike]

Spookily I was just reading this morning about the picture of the English Electric Lightning with the guy ejecting behind the tractor....
View attachment 223426

That is an amazing photo of the Electric Lightning crashing. I had never seen that before, so thanks for posting it. I am not an aviation fan but we often used to go to RAF Cosford on the way home from a weekend in Shrewsbury and they have a Lightning iirc.
Here's the background story to the photo:

https://fearoflanding.com/photography/the-story-behind-an-unbelievable-photograph/

 

[daleyd]

That is an amazing photo of the Electric Lightning crashing. I had never seen that before, so thanks for posting it. I am not an aviation fan but we often used to go to RAF Cosford on the way home from a weekend in Shrewsbury and they have a Lightning iirc.
Here's the background story to the photo:

https://fearoflanding.com/photography/the-story-behind-an-unbelievable-photograph/

Thanks - I meant to post that link, that was the exact article I'd been reading on it (The pic was on facebook with the link underneath) but was on my phone when I posted the pic up and never got round to it!