There are few situations less enviable than that of a combat pilot trapped inside a disabled aircraft. Most of the time, the aircraft is moving at incredibly high speeds while losing altitude at dramatic rates; moreover, the pilot might be disoriented or even severely injured.

With a few precious seconds before a fatal impact, the only thing that stands between the pilot and an inevitable demise is the yellow "Eject" lever mounted inside the cockpit.

During the chaos and confusion, the pilot needs to pull the lever, prompting the canopy to fly open, ignite the seat, and shoot the aviator up through the air, leaving the aircraft behind.

Once at a safe distance from the doomed warplane, the ejected seat automatically deploys a parachute, and the pilot softly floats towards the ground. Even if the pilot is unconscious by this point, the seat is designed to land safely.

The exceptional ejection seat technology has saved countless lives for over 80 years. Still, it would not have been possible if it wasn't for the Holloman High-Speed Test Track facility, where this technology has been tested and developed to make it as safe and reliable as possible at that moment when a pilot’s life hangs in the balance…

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