"Gene Storey" wrote:

"Bill Silvey" wrote

I could see potentially horrible things happening to that poor kid's arm if
he ever had to eject at high speeds...

Not many regular humans fare well :-)

I know of two cases where pilots who ejected and were mangled enough to
take years of surgery and made it back into the fighter cockpit.

The difference there being that the injured was already trained, but I can't
see having a pin or rod making one disabled, unless they lost strength or
motion, which is often the case, as the rod and pins usually replace the
part of the bone that is missing, or too mangled to fuse back together.

I would probably encourage the youth in JROTC, but not pin his hopes on
one career at this stage.

Yes...all true...but very strange medical things have happened in
the Canadian Military. We once had a very experienced VPCC
(Maritime Patrol Crew Captain) lose sight in one eye when he 'bit
the dust' in Bermuda while driving a moped (what ASW guy doesn't
know those?). Anyhow, he cracked his skull which cut off one
optic nerve. They instantly grounded him and installed him into
an LMD in OPS. He fought tooth and nail for a couple of years and
got reinstated. I know him well, great guy, I was still amazed at
his accomplishments. I've never heard of any other. Last I heard
of him he was an Instructor Pilot at the school in Greenwood.
--

-Gord.