Can a pilot ejects at supersonic speed?

This US Air Force pilot ejected while flying at supersonic speeds— and survived. Brian Udell is one of the only pilots in history to survive after ejecting from a fighter at supersonic speeds. The force of the air moving at more than 768 mph on his body was so strong that it nearly killed him.

Do planes go Mach 1?

Until the Mach 2 Concorde entered service in the mid-1970s, that was the only documented example of a plane intended for passenger service exceeding Mach 1, or the speed of sound, which is about 760 mph at sea level. But planes are surrounded by moving air, and they fly inside of it.

What happens when a pilot ejects?

In most designs, the seat is propelled out of the aircraft by an explosive charge or rocket motor, carrying the pilot with it. Once clear of the aircraft, the ejection seat deploys a parachute. Ejection seats are common on certain types of military aircraft.

What is the speed of Mach 2 in space?

As others have mentioned, there is no such thing as “Mach 2” in space, as sound only propagates in a medium (air, water, etc.). In space, speeds are essentially meaningless, so whether the jet is traveling 20 MPH or 20,000 MPH, the experience for the pilot will be the same.

What are the disadvantages of ejecting at Mach 2?

The biggest problem with ejecting at Mach 2 is the air blast that would be encountered at ejection. Various design have been developed to deal with this, shield, pods, capsules, etc. However, in space there is no such a problem.

How fast does a jet have to be to eject?

In space, speeds are essentially meaningless, so whether the jet is traveling 20 MPH or 20,000 MPH, the experience for the pilot will be the same. A modern zero-zero ejection sequence uses one of three ejection modes depending on the speed of the oncoming air as measured by the seat’s environmental sensors.

Is it possible to eject a human from an airplane?

Even if you start with a high altitude, low density situation where the dynamic pressures are not too bad, your real problems occur after the ejection itself in the low supersonic/transonic speed range. You have to decelerate the human in such a way that both the human and the parachute can survive to subsonic speeds.