Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Ep 276 - Ejection Seats and the Injured Pilot – Aviation Medicine with Phil Lucas at BASICs 2025
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Ep 276 - Ejection Seats and the Injured Pilot – Aviation Medicine with Phil Lucas at BASICs 2025
In this St Emlyn’s podcast, Ian Beardsell and Simon Carley speak with RAF GP Phil Lucas from the Royal Air Force Centre of Aerospace Medicine at the BASICS conference in Leicestershire. They explore what really happens when a pilot pulls the ejection handle, and what this means for pre-hospital and Emergency Department teams who may be the first to see an ejectee.
Phil explains:
• Why the aviation environment is so hostile to humans and how aerospace medicine supports aircrew
• How modern ejection seats work – from canopy jettison and rocket firing to parachute deployment and landing
• The decision making required to eject in a matter of seconds, and how pilots are trained to be “mentally ready”
• Typical injury patterns after ejection, how technology has reduced spinal compression injuries, and where the remaining risks lie
• Practical considerations for ED and pre-hospital teams when a pilot presents after ejection, including spinal precautions and safe removal of flight equipment
• The psychological impact of surviving a crash or ejection, how support needs can change over months, and what helps people return to flying
• Aviation medicine as a career path, including the role of the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine, the diploma in aviation medicine, and how this can sit alongside general practice or emergency care
This conversation draws strong parallels between aviation and emergency medicine: human factors, training under pressure, using simulation and mental rehearsal, and the importance of honest, individualised psychological support after critical incidents.
View all episodes
By St Emlyn’s Blog and Podcast
4.7
1111 ratings
In this St Emlyn’s podcast, Ian Beardsell and Simon Carley speak with RAF GP Phil Lucas from the Royal Air Force Centre of Aerospace Medicine at the BASICS conference in Leicestershire. They explore what really happens when a pilot pulls the ejection handle, and what this means for pre-hospital and Emergency Department teams who may be the first to see an ejectee.
Phil explains:
• Why the aviation environment is so hostile to humans and how aerospace medicine supports aircrew
• How modern ejection seats work – from canopy jettison and rocket firing to parachute deployment and landing
• The decision making required to eject in a matter of seconds, and how pilots are trained to be “mentally ready”
• Typical injury patterns after ejection, how technology has reduced spinal compression injuries, and where the remaining risks lie
• Practical considerations for ED and pre-hospital teams when a pilot presents after ejection, including spinal precautions and safe removal of flight equipment
• The psychological impact of surviving a crash or ejection, how support needs can change over months, and what helps people return to flying
• Aviation medicine as a career path, including the role of the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine, the diploma in aviation medicine, and how this can sit alongside general practice or emergency care
This conversation draws strong parallels between aviation and emergency medicine: human factors, training under pressure, using simulation and mental rehearsal, and the importance of honest, individualised psychological support after critical incidents.
More shows like The St.Emlyn’s Podcast
View all
EMCrit FOAM Feed
1,866 Listeners
JAMA Clinical Reviews
497 Listeners
Behind The Knife: The Surgery Podcast
1,306 Listeners
Medicine and Science from The BMJ
37 Listeners
RCEM Learning
5 Listeners
Core EM - Emergency Medicine Podcast
255 Listeners
EMJ Podcast
2 Listeners
Greater Sydney Area HEMS
6 Listeners
The Resus Room
102 Listeners
Emergency Medical Minute
271 Listeners
BMJ Best Practice Podcast
21 Listeners
Emergency Medicine Board Bombs
330 Listeners
Critical Care Scenarios
261 Listeners
The Curious Clinicians
372 Listeners
Critical Care Time
272 Listeners