- Published on Monday, 26 November 2012 09:00 As fighter
aircraft developed from propeller-driven to jets, it was evident
that the traditional way for pilots to escape aircraft was no
longer quick enough. Releasing the cockpit canopy, opening the
safety harness and then leaving the aircraft took too long in
relation to the flight speed. That’s why the ejection seat was
developed. I am sometimes asked about the possibility of
ejection seats in commercial aircraft, and I thought I’d write a
blog on this subject, as it which appears to be of interest to
our readers. Safety first. With present technology only a
pyrotechnic solution is sufficiently powerful for propelling an
ejection seat. A couple of kilos of explosive on an aircraft is
a considerable risk, however. A misfiring caused by a human
error or technical fault could be fatal – whether it happened on
the ground in connection with maintenance or during a flight. I
recently read an article on the subject, which described how a
reporter travelling as a pass