History Main / EjectionSeat

Distinct from just AbandonShip; rather than just getting the heck out of (the) Dodge, a machine's helping you out (the door).

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eject.jpg]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Biggs Darklighter shows us how it's done.]]

* As in the games on which they're based, the ''WingCommander'' novels occasionally feature ejection seats. In ''End Run'', it's noted that there's a mechanism that's supposed to prevent an ejection while on the carrier, but that has a reputation for not always functioning. [[ChekovsGun Later in the novel]] it fails for one pilot, smashing him against the landing bay overhead[[hottip:*:for those not familiar with naval terminology, the ceiling]].

'''James Bond:''' Surely you're joking!\\

[[CoolStarship Space fighters]], [[CoolPlane normal fighters]], [[HumongousMecha giant mecha]], [[CoolBoat submarines]], [[BackToTheFuture time travel cars]], [[CoolCar secret agent super cars]], [[BlackHelicopter helicopters]], [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking piano recital vans]]... just about ''everything'' has an ejection seat installed. Expect its success rate to be determined by the plot.

* While most Variable Fighters in the ''{{Macross}}'' universe have standard ejection seats, the VF-25 ''Messiah'' from ''MacrossFrontier'' is unique in that it doesn't have a seat, per se, but the pilots wear exoskeletons[=/=]mini-mecha (called [=EX=]-Gear) that dock with the cockpit. The pilot can then eject and fly away, even in outer space, using their own self-propelled [=EX=]-Gear, which has its own wings, thrusters, and limbs.
** Actually, the VF-0 and the VF-1 are the only UN Spacey Variable Fighters with a traditional ejector seat, everything from the VF-4A and up to the VF-22 series has the ejection system encompassing the entire cockpit area, creating an EscapePod that the pilot can remain in until rescue.

[[folder:Films -- Live Action]]
* During the test of the [[CoolCar Jet Car]], [[TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossTheEighthDimension Buckaroo Banzai]] gets someone LockedOutOfTheLoop over his radio going "Eject, Buckaroo! Eject!" but Buckaroo refuses and goes on to go through the mountain and into the Eighth Dimension.
* Film/IronMan [[spoiler:saves a pilot who was pursuing him after the pilot is forced to eject. After damage to the fighter jet]], the ejection seat is damaged, and the chute won't deploy. Tony uses the armor's strength to pull the lever hard enough to unjam it.

** During one scene in ''{{Goldeneye}}'', JamesBond ejects himself and Natalya from a stolen prototype combat helicopter that was rigged to shoot itself with its own missiles. Of course, the ejection mechanism shot out the blades from the top rotor first, for fairly obvious reasons.

* The quote at the top of this page comes from ''StarWars'' during the assault on the Death Star. (Unfortunately for him, he gets blown up before he has time to eject.) The starfighter is designed so that the cockpit and couch would separate from the fuselage and engines, thus leaving the pilot drifting in what was effectively a survival capsule. The suit is air tight and has a small force field that will keep you breathing for about three or four hours. Now being next to a giant moon-sized space station that explodes isn't exactly survivable so it was still a waste of time.

* Used in the ShowWithinAShow ''Austinpussy'' in ''Goldmember.''

* ''DeathRace'' has an ejector seat in the hero's car. The eject was never for the Hero, just [[{{Ms Fanservice}} the navigator.]] Assuming it's the same for all the vehicles, it makes sense seeing as how viewers would like to think the ladies don't die.

* In ''ChittyChittyBangBang'', when Baron Bomburst commands Grandpa to make the eponymous car fly, Grandpa presses a button at random that sends the Baroness shooting skyward out of her seat. (She is saved by her ParachutePetticoat.)

* Averted in ''[[TheLaundrySeries The Jennifer Morgue]]'' by CharlesStross, which goes into some detail as to why an ejection seat in a car is an insanely bad idea; when Bob Howard presses the eject button on his CoolCar, the ''entire car ejects'', which is only slightly less so. It's made clear that only time you should press the button is if ''not'' pressing it is ''definitely'' going to kill you. The explanation also deflates the idea of the "easy eject"; Bob describes how, due to the G-forces involved, the pilot is likely looking at weeks in traction ''at best''.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* When Wendy Watson flies to rescue ''TheMiddleMan'', [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot IDA]] triggers the Middlejet's EjectionSeat remotely, much to Wendy's horror.

* In the StargateVerse, the F-302, being space-worthy fighters, can eject the whole two-place cockpit, as to make sure the pilots can survive in space. Most of other races' {{Mook Mobile}}s, like the [[{{Stargate SG-1}} Goa'uld's Death Gliders]] or the [[StargateAtlantis Wraith Darts]], have no such equipment.

* Documentary series ''{{Pawn Stars}}'' had someone try to sell this to the pawn shop. It was appraised as genuine.
* Played straight, averted, and subverted in several episodes of ''{{JAG}}''. Apropriate, as several of the characters on the show are fighter pilots. Even part of the story behind Harm's DisappearedDad.

[[folder:WebComics]]
* [[MetalGearSolid Liquid Snake]] wound up in Alaska after accidentally ejecting himself from a helicopter in ''TheLastDaysOfFoxhound''. He then guesses that he must be in the North Pole, and wonders where the [[PolarBearsAndPenguins penguins]] are.

** In the episode "Joker's Millions" of ''Batman: The Animated Series'', Joker is so poor that he could afford only one ejection seat. Boy, was Harley mad!

** Indeed pilots don't eject at the first hint of trouble, either. Considerable effort if first put into ''slowing the aircraft'' because at supersonic or just plain fast speeds the wind the pilot is slamming into could possibly rip the mask off of a pilot's face and ram the air down his esophagus, [[{{Squick}} inflating his stomach like a balloon]], which makes simply impacting the ground sans parachute sound like a better option. Slowing down to a more reasonable speed to eject into is a good idea, if you can do it. A 200mph wind is about the fastest nature throws at us. 600mph is ''unnnatural''.

It should be pointed out that shooting an airman after he or she's ejected is a war crime, though this is a relatively recent idea and wasn't in force until 1977.[[hottip:*:Yes, it doesn't make much sense when you think about it. Can you imagine anyone letting a crewman jump out of his tank, wrap a bit of silk around himself and walk away from the battle? Perhaps the most bizarre example of this is that if you shoot down a plane carrying paratroops (who are not granted the same protection), you ''can'' shoot at the parachuting soldiers, but shooting at the plane's actual aircrew is a war crime. Erm...]]

It should be pointed out that shooting an airman after he or she's ejected is a war crime, though this is a relatively recent idea and wasn't in force until 1977.[[hottip:*:Yes, it doesn't make much sense when you think about it. Can you imagine anyone letting a crewman jump out of his tank, wrap a bit of silk around himself and walk away from the battle? Perhaps the most bizarre example of this is that if you shoot down a plane carrying paratroops (who are not granted the same protection), you ''can'' shoot at the parachuting soldiers, but shooting at the plane's actual aircrew is a war crime. Erm...]]

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** Indeed pilots don't eject at the first hint of trouble, either. Considerable effort if first put into ''slowing the aircraft'' because at supersonic or just plain fast speeds the wind the pilot is slamming into could possibly rip the mask off of a pilot's face and ram the air down his esophagus, [[{{Squick}} inflating his stomach like a balloon]], which makes simply impacting the ground sans parachute sound like a better option. Slowing down to a more reasonable speed to eject into is a good idea, if you can do it.

* In real life, 20% of aircraft ejections result in the pilot sustaining career-ending injuries, such as death. Also, 100% of aircraft ejections result in the pilot losing several inches of height, due to the sudden compression of being flung out of your plane at anywhere from 12 to 22 Gs (depending on what ejection seat your plane was equipped with). Most air forces impose a career limit on the number of ejections permissable before it's desk job city for you.

* As in the games on which they're based, the WingCommander novels occasionally feature ejection seats. In ''End Run'', it's noted that there's a mechanism that's supposed to prevent an ejection while on the carrier, but that has a reputation for not always functioning. [[ChekovsGun Later in the novel]] it fails for one pilot, smashing him against the landing bay overhead[[hottip:*:for those not familiar with naval terminology, the ceiling]].

* ''KnightRider'': KITT]]'s ejection seats never left the car, they simply catapulted the occupant a couple stories in the air. Which makes less sense.

* In {{Farscape}}, Aeryn is ejected in one of these, with [[MeaningfulFuneral disasterously heart-breaking]] but, of course, [[DeathIsCheap non-permanent results]].

* Played straight, averted, and subverted in several episodes of {{JAG}}. Apropriate, as several of the characters on the show are fighter pilots. Even part of the story behind Harm's DisappearedDad.

[[hottip:**: then again a pilot who has just ejected can't exactly defend himself while he's floating down, and the odds are still against them once they touchdown, armed with only a pistol and having to evade a batallion of enemy soldiers looking for them. where as paratroopers are used as a means of rapid deployment]]

* ''CodeGeass'' has ejector seats as a major feature of the Knightmare Frames. In fact, according to [[AllThereInTheManual the backstory]], Knightmares evolved out of a plan to put ejection seats in "traditional" military vehicles like tanks.

* Most [[{{Gundam}} mobile suits]] have ejector seats too. In general it's a fairly common part of HumongousMecha.

* [[MetalGearSolid Liquid Snake]] wound up in Alaska after accidentally ejecting himself from a helicopter. He then guesses that he must be in the North Pole, and wonders where the [[PolarBearsAndPenguins penguins]] are.

[[hottip:** then again a pilot who has just ejected can't exactly defend himself while he's floating down, and the odds are still against them once they touchdown, armed with only a pistol and having to evade a batallion of enemy soldiers looking for them. where as paratroopers are used as a means of rapid deployment]]

* Played straight, averted, and subverted in several episodes of {{JAG}}. Apropriate, as several of the characters on the show are fighter pilots. Even part of the story behind Harm's DissappearedDad.

It should be pointed out that shooting an airman after he or she's ejected is a war crime, though this is a relatively recent idea and wasn't in force until 1977. This leads to a bit of FridgeLogic -- aircrew are the only people with such protection, and only while descending by parachute. You can't fire at someone on a parachute with your AA gun, but if you drop it level you can shoot them the instant their feet touch the ground.

It should be pointed out that shooting an airman after he or she's ejected is a war crime, though this is a relatively recent idea and wasn't in force until 1977.[[hottip:*:Yes, it doesn't make much sense when you think about it. Can you imagine anyone letting a crewman jump out of his tank, wrap a bit of silk around himself and walk away from the battle? Perhaps the most bizarre example of this is that if you shoot down a plane carrying paratroops (who are not granted the same protection), you ''can'' shoot at the parachuting soldiers, but shooting at the plane's actual aircrew is a war crime. Erm...]]

It should be pointed out that shooting an airman after he or she's ejected is a war crime, though this is a relatively recent idea and wasn't in force until 1977.