The F4 Martin Baker Seat Ejection

The F4 Martin Baker seat known as the backbreaker would be something to witness. The rear cockpit ejection was textbook and I remember it vividly. Huge flames that resembled giant blow torches streamed from the rubber pedal rudder pedal area at his feet through the cockpit around him. Out through the now open rear cockpit the fire had filled the phantom's interior and produced a dense black smoke trail, obscuring the tail. Harlan shouted strobe 1-0 bail out bail out but the general just sat there doing nothing. At 500 feet the old phantom gave one last gas pitched up a little then dove straight into the beach and exploded. "I might very well have crashed right beside the water boy