Two U.S. Navy aircrew. Two emergencies. Two ejections that saved their lives.

Hear the first-hand stories of an F/A-18 pilot and an F-14 Tomcat RIO who survived two very different accidents – thanks to their Martin-Baker ejection seats. Brandon, callsign “Norman”, was flying an F/A-18 when a head-on collision during a training flight over the mountains left him with no option but to eject. His Martin-Baker US14A (NACES – Navy Aircrew Common Ejection Seat) got him safely out of the aircraft.

Dave Baranek, callsign “Bio”, was an F-14 Tomcat Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) when a carrier landing in the Indian Ocean went catastrophically wrong. When the arresting gear failed to stop the Tomcat, Dave and his pilot were forced to eject before the aircraft went over the side. Both escaped using Martin-Baker GRU-7A ejection seats.

Our thanks to the USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum in Alameda, California, and the Valiant Air Command Warbird Air Museum in Titusville, Florida, for helping us tell these stories. USS Hornet Museum: https://uss-hornet.org/ Valiant Air Command: https://www.valiantaircommand.com/