Eject! Eject!

Product Information

Without doubt by its very nature there must be a constant battle between aircraft/missile performance and the safe deliverance of aircrew from an aircraft that is too fast, fatally compromised, too low, spinning too much, taking cannon shells or is on fire and for this reason no doubt work will continue. Since those first post-Second World War ejections, many tens of thousands of lives have been saved by increasingly sophisticated escape systems. John is the bestselling co-author of Tornado Down and author of many highly acclaimed epics, including Spitfire, Lancaster and Tornado, all of which were Sunday Times bestsellers. At its end I could only reflect on the nature of war and the risks we ask our pilots to take on and whether technology will advance so much that seat technology will be rendered obsolete with pilotless aircraft. A few days later, having been beaten and tortured, images of Nichol and his pilot John Peters were broadcast around the world.

The story is chronological from the early days of the seats being developed- a ripping yarn in itself, with some fantastic characters testing them- and then moves forward through several aerial conflicts, and other incidents in between. Nichol tells the story of the brave men who risked their lives testing those early devices, and interviewed the first British pilot to eject back in 1949, when ejection, from pulling the handle to being under the parachute, took thirty seconds. This rather begged the question of whether the human body could in fact withstand the force of the explosion. I understand I can change my preference through my account settings or unsubscribe directly from any marketing communications at any time. Most works of popular narrative non-fiction could be written by anyone with a small amount of talent, as well as enough time, energy, commitment and a decent library.Lastly, as I began the book I thought that this would make for an excellent recommendation for my friend’s son-in-law who flies off an American carrier and is due home on leave at Christmas.

I had the notion,” wrote Martin, “that I wanted to design things and not be employed by anyone” – a fine ambition.Out of the 4 books in the group I thought this would be the one I least enjoyed, but it was fascinating and told the stories of each ejection featured very well.

It was only after Baker died in 1942 during the test flight of a prototype fighter plane that Martin turned his thoughts to designing an ejection seat. If I had a any criticism at all, it would be that the people who maintain these seats day in day out get short shrift- this is all about the occupants. On active duty during the first Gulf War in 1991, his Tornado bomber was shot down during a mission over Iraq. In Germany, Heinkel had fitted their turbojet-powered fight He-280 with a catapult seat escape system, and on January 13 1942, the Luftwaffe’s Wolfgang “Bombo” Schenck became the first man to use an ejection seat in an emergency.The events in war, about the way the Vietnam pilots were treated for instance was beaten only by the dreadful, dreadful injuries that they used to receive as a result of ejecting. I’ve read much of the author’s work, and while not wanting to discredit his earlier productions in any way, his more recent books have really stepped up to the next level as his writing style has evolved. It was partly due to the death of Squadron Leader William Davie, a 25-year-old test pilot who died after attempting to bail out of his Gloster Meteor in August 1943 – plummeting through the roof of a hangar at Farnborough – that prompted the Air Ministry finally to commission Martin to come up with a workable British system. He devised and presented 2 series of Survivors, interviewing newsmakers who have been through life changing experiences.

He apparently kept them in the fridge at his factory, “causing those looking for milk during tea breaks no little distress”. John is a member of The Royal British Legion's Gulf War Group helping veterans with Gulf War Syndrome and a patron of the British Ex-service Wheelchair Sports Association.That the two men survived their ordeal was due not only to their bravery and resilience but also – obviously – to the existence of aircraft ejection seats. Captured, tortured and held as a prisoner of war, John was paraded on television, provoking worldwide condemnation and leaving one of the most enduring images of the conflict. The fact that he’d never designed or built a plane and had never even flown did not seem to deter him. He has made a number of TV documentaries with Second World War veterans, written for national newspapers and magazines, and is a widely quoted commentator on military affairs. He has taken the time to let the reader know that he has taken that ride, but hasn't fallen into the trap of the book being about him.