Fast Jet Performance

‘EJECT, EJECT!’ screamed my student from the front seat of our military training jet. That got my attention. Now, there’s probably not a situation that requires more of an immediate ‘ownership’ of a problem, than in the precise moment when a pilot calls for an ejection to be initiated from an aircraft they are flying. If we were to break down exactly what would happen in the next few seconds, it might help us to understand the magnitude of my student’s decision. Initiating the ejection sequence is done by an aggressive pull of the ejection seat firing handle which detonates explosive miniature cord that is embedded in the canopy above your head. This canopy now explodes into millions of razor sharp fragments only a few inches from your face. Simultaneously, a telescopic tube with two explosive charges is fired at the rear of the seat which starts to move it up the guide rails activating an emergency oxygen supply. Personal equipment and communication leads are automatically severed. Leg and arm restrain