Wikipedia:Picture of the day/March 2, 2006
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The first aircraft ejector seats were developed during WWII by Heinkel. The first test was with the Heinkel He 280 prototype jet fighter, and one of its test pilots, Helmut Schenk, was the first person to eject from a stricken aircraft on January 13 1942. By December 2003, Martin-Baker ejector seats had saved 7028 lives. The total figure for all types is unknown but must be considerably higher. This photo shows USAF Capt. Christopher Stricklin ejecting from an F-16 a second before it crashed on September 14 2003; Stricklin was not seriously injured. Photo credit: U.S. Air Force |