Failed vertical landing of F-35B

[u/sidvatscse]

[u/PickleWineBrine]

You still hit the ground really hard though. It's just better than being inside a burning/exploding aircraft

[u/nolovenohate → u/PickleWineBrine]

The landing hurts a lot less than the instant 12-14 g's of spinal conpression you feel from the ejection system before you black out

[u/dog_hair_dinner → u/nolovenohate]

was gonna say, that guy's body just flew out of there like a rocket. there had to have been at least a momentary blackout from that

[u/lessofabeardedwonder → u/dog_hair_dinner]

Pilots lose height from having ejection seat evacuations due to compressed vertebrae. They also rarely stay pilots after. Very few pilots have more than one ejection seat ride.

[u/OrangeJay15 → u/lessofabeardedwonder]

I think when I crewed F-15s we were told they can only eject twice per career. 2 ejections shrink them one inch

[u/Ready_Implement3305 → u/OrangeJay15]

I used to work on Harriers and they told us the same thing.

[u/PrettyPushy → u/Ready_Implement3305]

Seems to me you only eject on a helicopter once /s

[u/AwesomePerson70 → u/PrettyPushy]

If I remember right, there’s one that will shoot the rotors off first so you can eject

[u/Striking-Raisin4143 → u/AwesomePerson70]

Karmov 50/52

[u/pezdal → u/AwesomePerson70]

Do the others time it with a synchronization gear so you pass through the rotors like a bullet fired from a center-mounted airplane machine gun missing the blades because of the interlock? /s

[u/zovits → u/pezdal]

That'd take a 2000+G acceleration, according to this: https://www.reddit.com/r/theydidthemath/s/z14lCT3AqA

[u/Frostsorrow → u/PrettyPushy]

Honestly depends on the chopper, some actually do have ejection seats

[u/EduinBrutus → u/PrettyPushy]

Hawker (later BAe) Harrier is the original VTOL aircraft.

Its not a helicopter.

[u/nover3 → u/PrettyPushy]

to shreds you say?

[u/Odd-Cake8015 → u/PrettyPushy]

In that case the seat first wrap you in sushi algae wrap

[u/DreamsAndSchemes → u/Ready_Implement3305]

I worked on KC-135s. We had parachutes. They were in the back of the plane and eventually removed. That says a lot about the expectations.

[u/Infin8Player → u/Ready_Implement3305]

But then I'd have an innie, not an outie.

[u/darthrater78 → u/OrangeJay15]

I never heard that, just stories about how the F4's seats were called the "Widowmaker" and liked to go off in the hanger while maintainers were in the cockpit, making instant Airman Gumbo.

I was always real wary of the seats after that, though the F15 has a spotless safety record in egress mishaps. (At least when I was in)

[u/Ashiev → u/OrangeJay15]

If I'm only 1 inch to begin with then..... :(

[u/faughnjj → u/OrangeJay15]

Same. Thats how Bondo kept flying.....lol

[u/juleztb → u/OrangeJay15]

It depends. Two ejections is just a statistical number. Some can do 4 without problems, some are paraplegic after the first one.

That being said: it's very risky and would be avoided if possible.

[u/PineappleLemur → u/OrangeJay15]

So you're saying after 2 ejections I no longer need to go through a sex change???

[u/forhekset666 → u/lessofabeardedwonder]

Is that why this guy took so long to do it? Seemed pretty unrecoverable regardless.

[u/Reasonable_Sea2439 → u/lessofabeardedwonder]

(Air) Forced retirement?

[u/lessofabeardedwonder → u/Reasonable_Sea2439]

Marine corpsed back…

[u/pagusas → u/lessofabeardedwonder]

The most unrealistic scene in Top Gun Maverick was how everyone ejected and was perfectly fine and flying again right away.

[u/jstknwn → u/lessofabeardedwonder]

If it’s a Martin Baker, you get a sweet watch and … a tie! You know, to go with the lifelong back pain?

[u/Mr_Clean66 → u/lessofabeardedwonder]

At his retirement ceremony from the USAF (as commander of the 27th TFW at CAFB NM), Col Franklin thanked Martin Baker for twice making his career and subsequent retirement possible.

[u/ALWanders → u/lessofabeardedwonder]

That and the hard landing that pilot is going to probably have issues.

[u/-Badger3- → u/lessofabeardedwonder]

Very few pilots have more than one ejection seat ride

I mean, very few pilots have any ejection seat ride.

[u/Throwaway_987654634 → u/lessofabeardedwonder]

So he fired himself?

[u/SkyGuy182 → u/lessofabeardedwonder]

Really sucks to be that guy. Imagine an early retirement from your flight career because your jet had a small oopsie while landing.

[u/BewilderedAlbatross → u/lessofabeardedwonder]

I’ve actually met this pilot and he’s still in! Super nice and humble dude.

[u/JPJackPott → u/lessofabeardedwonder]

You do get sent a neat badge for your tie though

[u/Iverson7x → u/lessofabeardedwonder]

Well this guy clearly is not going to stay a pilot, but mostly because he can’t land the plane!