Lets hope they rescue this one out the drink. It's not often, giving the amount of military training flights , that they ditch. I hope he ejected and he was able to activiate his Electronic Positional Indicator Radio Beacon.. I reckon the North Sea is still pretty chilly in June.
There's a pilot training to protect us and endangering himself, and compare that to gangs of yobs desecrating our memorials to like minded men who!paid the ultimate price.
I know of a RAF pilot who is still missing after take off in a English Electric Lightning from RAF Luqqa Malta back in the 60s. I don't think they had EPIRBs then. Surely this pilot has one and in this day and age I would of thought it would automatically activate when the Martin Baker was deployed ? As you work in aircraft you may be able to correct or confirm.
They,sadly, announced that the pilot has been found dead. I obviously never knew him but R.I.P. and my gratitude and condolences to his family and colleagues.
Probably a bit different for us Retrocop. There are locator beacons within the structure of the aircraft and we also have ELTs which have to be physically activated (duration 48 hours)
I found the locator beacon down the back of a 747 once. It is behind a panel that was rattling and I didn`t know why so I got my torch out, opened the panel and had a good old look (because I`m nosey like that) The orange locator beacon was sitting on a bracket between the interior lining of the aircraft and the fuselage. It was a strange to see it (almost sinister) because it brings it home as to what can happen (ditch in the middle of the Atlantic etc)
I get that feeling every time I drop my reading matter and listen/watch the flight safety information. I always feel the life jacket is safely stowed under my seat but then I like to think I am a stubborn survivor. :-)