[JClark]

http://steeljawscribe.blogspot.com/

Todays article is about the Hawker Sea Hawk, the Fleet Air Arms first jet aircraft, and it's history. One thing I read, that amazed me, was this little gem:

Five years after the Indo-Pakistani war, the Sea Hawk was still in service and on 4 Mar 76, Cdr. Peter Debras, IN, suffered a catapult failure while launching from Vikrant. The aircraft ditched in the sea ahead of the carrier and sank. Unable to stop or turn, the carrier passed over the sinking aircraft and Cdr. Debras waited in his seat until the carrier had passed before ejecting. He survived and set a world record for the deepest underwater ejection.

Imagine being in the cockpit of that jet, as it's slowly sinking. You deliberately let the whole carrier go over you, while the aircraft is being slammed by the pressure wave and propeller wash. THEN you pull the handles! That guy had some stones...BIG ones!

Boats