Everard Richard Calthrop's prophetic visualisation of an aircraft ejection seat which was to be operated by a 'hand-lever' - included in his 22 September 1916 patent application Improvements relating to Parachutes (GB111.498A), a development of his 'Guardian Angel' parachutes which Calthrop (1857-1927) championed against British military intransigence over pilot safety during WW1 - became a reality in Britain 30 years later when on 24 July 1946 (75 years ago) a mechanic volunteer Bernard Ignatius Lynch (1918-1986) ejected at 8,000ft from the rear cockpit of a Gloster Meteor Mk3 travelling at 320mph using a Martin-Baker ejection seat. Lynch, who was to undertake 30 more airborne test ejections, was the first person outside of Germany to eject from an aircraft in flight.
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