LAST RESORT

f a pilot is at the point where they’re using the ejection seat, it’s their last viable course of action – it means that their plane is doomed and they’ve got no other options. Pilots usually fight until the last possible second to cost nearly £90 million ($118 million) each. There are only a few situations where an ejection is necessary. If a jet has been irreparably damaged due to enemy fire then a pilot will have to make a quick getaway, and a pilot may have to eject if the plane has encountered a technical issue in the field or during testing. Different situations need different ejection technology, too, so sensors on the seat determine which mode the plane uses when it flings the pilot into the sky.