Having served 39 years in the Royal Air Force as a Weapon Engineering Technician I enjoyed my involvement with Martin Baker ejection seats. I have fitted ejection seats to a variety of aircraft such as Victors, Canberras, Phantoms, Jaguars, Jet Provosts and the Tornado F3.
I also served 2 years in the ejection seat maintenance bay at Wildenrath on Phantom seats and 5 years at Cranwell maintaining Jet Provost seats.
The photo was taken when II(AC) Squadron Jaguar Gr1s were on detachment to Goose Bay in Canada on 16 June 1983. I was waiting for an airframe technician to clear the cockpit prior to me carrying out independent checks of the rear ejection seat.
Within 2 minutes of this photo being taken the first wave of 3 aircraft broke to land which resulted in 2 of them colliding over the airfield. (XZ105 & XZ110).
Fortunately and thanks to Martin Baker ejection seats, both pilots ejected safely. This, apart from saving the pilots lives, resulted in beers for the armourers and a good detachment!
