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> subjects your body to huge compressive forces - it's not uncommon to fracture your spine. I've heard that military pilots are retired from flying after the s
by robonerd 5y ago
> subjects your body to huge compressive forces - it's not uncommon to fracture your spine.
I've heard that military pilots are retired from flying after the second ejection (regardless of the reason for it) due to this spinal injury concern. It must be one hell of a kick in the ass.
- darrenf 5y agoBack in the 1950s and 60s my dad was a parachute training instructor for the RAF. As well as teach others how to safely jump out of planes, he also basically did QA for ejector seats. His service ended when one such seat really wasn’t ready for humans. It totally fucked his back up — he didn’t become wheelchair bound, but was told to never lift anything heavier than a cup of tea for the rest of his life. Registered disabled from his mid-30s. Ejector seats were, and I assume still are, no joke.
- rich_sasha 5y agoEjection seats also got a lot more powerful over time. The gold standard now are 0/0 seats, so called because they can be used at 0 altitude and 0 speed. Earlier seats had speed and/or altitude requirements. Presumably this means that they kick you harder too, with all such subsequent effects.
- robonerd 5y agoMany early ejection seats used explosive charges instead of rocket motors. These were less powerful overall (didn't throw pilots as far from the plane) but I suspect they might have kicked a lot harder in the instant of ignition.
- rich_sasha 5y agoInteresting... it sounds familiar with various videos of ejection over time, but I never realised this changes the force dynamics!
- kayodelycaon 5y agoModern ejection seats have a smoother acceleration curve than the early ones.