Harrier Pilot Does The Martin Baker Fly By
 

http://www.kdvr.com/news/nationworld...9697.htmlstory

guess it started getting a little warm in the cockpit.

video starts with a test pattern for a few seconds... just wait for it.

That was surreal. Almost zero-zero though.

Wonder when that happened?

The question now is: what reason did he have to not trust his ejection seat? :D Or did he forget to fasten the seat-belts before take-off? :DL That would make him the fastest knot-maker on the planet.

That's a nasty smack he made there, came in a bit too fast I figure.

HunterICX

Oddly enough I thought the opposite- that his approach was too slow.

I think the accident caught him off guard, as if he knew it was going to be a really hard landing, but didn't expect it to result in substantial damage.

From a pilots perspective, I would have made the choice to ride a gear collapse - which in this case he probably assumed was the problem - all the way to the stopping point as opposed to riding an ejection seat out.

The event that changed his mind and caused him to pull the loud handle was no doubt the 8-10 foot tall flames licking the canopy glass.

Then the situation switches gears and you have to choose between exiting a burning wreck or just punching out and letting the fire fighters worry about it.

His problems started on final approach... His jet looked like it was on the ass end of the power curve which is not a good place to be on approach to landing. To top it off this looked like a traditional approach to landing as opposed to a VTOL with which I'm sure he was more accustomed.

Here's the story:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6301835.ece

He had a engine failure and had to do a emergency landing.
reason he probally stayed in his cockpit for that long was to make sure he didn't collide with the passenger aircraft.

also carrying external fuel tanks and live laser guided bombs....pfew

HunterICX

All the more reason to get out pronto! :o

That's what I was thinking, plus I guess it's always preferable to walk away from something like that than to eject, I believe ejecting hurts like buggery, spinal compression and all that...

"suffered a back injury in the accident"

Jesus... probably upon the touchdown, which means he punched out with an injured back. :o

if not upon touchdown, then i suppose they are referring to the spinal compression.

Nicely done that man, very professional and heroic. :up: Harrier doesn't look like it'll be a total write-off either.
At least the Harrier engines are more reliable now than they were to begin with. I recall one pilot who suffered an engine cut out whilst flying over West Germany, he began to lose altitude quite dramatically and so banged out...and as he floated down suddenly the Harriers engine starts up, roars into life and the Harrier sets off towards the GDR by itself.
Panic sets in, and Luftwaffe F-104s take off but just can't get it, eventually a BAe Lightning shot it down near the GDR border.

Good book :yep::
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cold-War-Hot.../dp/1844155757

WOW...he wanted to ride it out or he was just in utter shock the aircraft was falling to pieces around him.

@Oberon

I'm pretty sure that thing IS a 100% write off.;)
The airframe is definitely unusable and I'm pretty sure the electronics, engine, and cockpit instruments didn't like the crash, the fire and the water (or whatever stuff they used to extinguish the flames) all too much either.

@Warhawk

I'm with GR on that one, he didn't eject until the flames reached the canopy. I'm sure he didn't want to get fried or blown to pieces.

Yes, this what I think too. He ejects just second or so after we see the body of flames reach the side of the canopy. :hmmm:

I'm not sure but I dont believe that belly smacking and setting your aircraft on fire would be considered professional.

Well, he had an engine failure after all.