Bang Seats - A waste of time in GA?

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21 years 1 month

Posts: 49

In a recent copy of Today's Pilot there was an article about bang seats. This set me thinking about how useful they are in GA aeroplanes (like Jet Provosts). I don't EVER recall hearing that anyone has ejected from a private jet in the UK and survived - can anybody prove me wrong?

Seagull

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 243

Has anyone actually 'banged' out of a private jet in the UK?

I guess most of the jets around in the private scene are going to be ex-military and therefore already have bang seats. Taking into account the larger corporate type stuff like the learjet. So whether they're useful or not I guess they're going to be installed.

What about that new Javelin sports jet for the rich, will that come with an ejection seat as standard? I have to say I don't know much about it, seen a few pics here and there, not to say I wouldn't want one though :)

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21 years 1 month

Posts: 1,029

Not quite a 'bang out' of a private jet but i recall an incident where a JP (jet provost) was being flown a guy with his brother along for the ride. They went upside down and the pilots brother literally fell out of the aircraft (seat became detached from plane)
Both survived.

Member for

21 years 1 month

Posts: 49

Simmer,

I don't know how many people have banged out of old jets - that's my point. The only one I heard of recently was the L39 at Duxford and that poor chap didn't make it.

Certainly in other instances, like the vampire at Biggin Hill, pilots have elected to stay with their aeroplane and ride it down. I wonder if this is because the UK is such a built up country - i.e. if you bang out can you guarantee that your aeroplane isn't going to end up in a housing estate? Obviously countries like the USA and Oz have more open spaces and more options to the pilot when he wants to bang out.

The javelin jet is nice, and at mach 0.92 at 30,000ft I'd definately want a bang seat - but I find it highly unlikely that I would be at that speed and height in UK airspace.

I was just wondering if anybody had ejected from a Jet Provost or similar ex-military jet in the UK? If not, and the reason is because we don't have the open space to deploy the seat - is it worth the hasttle to the CAA? Why not just disarm the seats and do away with the need for cartridges and certificates?

Seagull

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24 years 2 months

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the l-39 at duxford didn't have a zero zero seat - ie he needed to be at an altitude for it to work IIRC

rabie ;)

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Why were these aircraft originally provided with an ejection seat? Because your unlikely to get out of one in flight without it and because the usually very high wing loading (-> high approach speed, steep glide angle) renders a successful forced landing off airport virtually impossible. Hence, the ejection seat provides a margin of safety which is deleted if the seat is deactivated. And when you also consider that these aircraft are now operated outside their usual environment (military ATC, military-trained maintenance and flight crew) the remaining safety margin is much too small for my liking.

Member for

21 years

Posts: 3

Bang seats

The 'no zero-zero-' seat comment therefore you need height is not strictly true as most older aircraft had a 0-90 seat; i.e you could safely eject on the ground as long as you had a forward speed of at least 90 kts. This was the standard Martin Baker type of seat until the advent of rocket seats with their 'zero-zero' (stationary on the ground) escape capability.

The rules on active seats in private (ex militaary) jets vary in different countires but as the Today's Pilot article mentioned if you are offered a ride in such an aircraft then make sure you get a good brief on which bits of the escape system are working!

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24 years 2 months

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This might make you all smile :p

http://www.keypublishing.com/forum/importedfiles/3e5631abccfa65ba.jpg

Apparantly the guy in the back had been a naval officer given a ride in the Tom. On a neg G Maneuver he had instinctibely grabbed something on the underside of the seat... you can guess the rest :D

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I don't really think it's a matter of who has banged out and survived ! It's more a case of having the ability to get out of a rough situation with a chance of survival. People have seat belts in cars but rarely need them until an emergency- same with ejection seats.
The comments regarding the JP incident near North Weald
should point out that the seat had been incorrectly fitted with the leg restraints stopping the seat top latch from engaging.
Hence when the aircraft was inverted the seat departed the aircraft with it's occupant. Luckily in this case the barostat still worked and the seat parted company with the occupant leaving him hanging on a parachute. It was a miracle that it happened
this way. An ejection seat isn't put in to increase weight - it's
the last resort option which saves lives.