CF-18 Pilot ejects just in time

[JCFalkenbergIII]

Just a few photos of a CF-18 pilot punching out just in the nick of time before his CF-18 crashed. Robert









http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news...shes?gt1=43001

[Cap'n Crunch]

Awesome shots!!

[Listy]

Another bloke is glad for the Zero/Zero rating!

[boomer400]

Hmmm, not the best ejection attitude even for a zero-zero Mk. 10. But he who walks away lives to fly another day, indeed. So MB gets to award another tie! There's a couple of nice videos of the incident around as well, have to find the link.

[JCFalkenbergIII]

[TacCovert4]

I wonder how close he is to the fireball in the last frame. From his altitude, vector, and proximity, he couldn't be much off-camera.

At first I thought that he might have been swallowed up by the fireball.

[Capt AFB]

I understand that the pilot only suffered minor injuries. He received lots of kudos from the news commentators on how he handled the plane before the crash.

Unfortunately, until the inquiry is over, no CF-18 will be available for airshows...

[kuma]

Having 2 engines didn't help this pilot..

[JCFalkenbergIII]

Oddly enough the Bee Gees song "Staying Alive" was playing at the time for the sequence. Robert

[JCFalkenbergIII]

Comments from Capt. Brian Bews about the crash

CF-18 crash pilot applauds ejection seat
Suffered compression fractures in three vertebrae
Last Updated: Monday, July 26, 2010 | 4:49 PM MT
CBC News


The Canadian Forces pilot who ejected from a fighter jet just moments before it crashed and exploded suffered back injuries but is expected to make a full recovery.

"I feel extremely lucky considering the magnitude of the accident — Martin Baker is my new best friend!" said Capt. Brian Bews, 36, in his first public statement since Friday's crash in Lethbridge, Alta.

Martin Baker is the brand name of the ejection seat in the CF-18 Hornet that Bews was piloting. He was making a low-speed pass at low altitude on a practice run for the Alberta International Airshow when he had to eject from the jet seconds before it smashed into the airstrip at the Lethbridge airport.

Bews suffered compression fractures in three vertebrae and will be wearing a back brace for a few months, the Department of National Defence said Monday.

"Given the incredible amount of force in the ejection sequence, this type of injury is very common in aircrew who eject," said Maj. Rachel Morrell, a military surgeon. She said Bews will likely make a full recovery but there's no timeline on when he will be able to return to flying duties.

"I will be concentrating on rest for the next while," Bews said Monday. The pilot thanked first responders for their quick reaction after the crash and the staff at the Lethbridge hospital where he was taken.

"I would also like to thank my family, friends, my demo team and my air show family for their amazing support since the accident," said Bews, who is from Eatonia, Sask."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/st...t-alberta.html

[Capt AFB]

The Canadian Forces just confirmed that there wil be no CF-18 available for airshow season 2010...There were still 8 airshows in North America that were on the schedule before the crash.

[iron]

Originally Posted by boomer400

Hmmm, not the best ejection attitude even for a zero-zero Mk. 10. But he who walks away lives to fly another day, indeed. So MB gets to award another tie! There's a couple of nice videos of the incident around as well, have to find the link.

188738 was one of our birds that had already received it's NACES/Mk14 upgrade...if Capt. Bews had punched out in a Mk 10 seat at that altitude/attitude, we may well have seen a different outcome to this story.

Cheers, Ron

[JCFalkenbergIII]

I wonder how many ejections you can make before you are seriously screwed up in the back department?. I seem to recall it was 2 or 3 of them. Robert

[johns624]

If they lose any more Hornets, they'll have to buy the F35...