Page 306 - Demo

302ting lower. At the same time, I switched off the fuel cut off. I can remember looking at the booster pumps and thinking that they would be on in the font cockpit but with the fuel cut off operated it would not make much difference and so left them as I left the electrical switches. I heard someone relaying the Mayday and I can remember wondering why London had not apparently heard it. Someone was asking where we were going to eject and I transmitted that we were ejecting now near Driffield. At some point I became aware that I could see 2 propeller blades out to the left of the aircraft and something that at the time I thought was the spinner. However, I thought it was red and white and the spinners are black and white, even so in my minds eye I saw it as the spinner and I may have got the colour wrong. (I recently looked at an airfix model of a Tucano that I made and realise that it was actually the front of the aircraft) The propeller hub appeared to be offset about 30 degrees to the left. I had a final look around to check that we were clear and then let go of the stick to pull the handle. The aircraft started to roll rapidly left and I pulled it back level. I can remember that on the JP we were supposed to wind on aileron trim to get the aircraft to spiral down. I then put my hand on the seat handle but have no recollection of pulling it. Indeed, I was surprised that the seat had gone off.I felt a pain in my back and then I was being fired down a pitch black tunnel, I think with my head on my knee to begin with. After a bit I felt a rush of air in the face. There was then a huge jolt from the side and I was jerked through what felt like about 90 degrees. I opened my eyes and could see lots of little bits of the canopy falling away. This fascinated me for a moment. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my seat falling faster and Dode in a parachute. The aircraft was in a tight left-hand spiral. Everything was quiet and I shouted to Dode to ask if he was OK. I then thought that he would not be able to hear me with his bone dome on and decided to get on with my drills. My mask must have fallen off on the ejection. I found my PSP (personal survival pack) connector and gave it a good tug before releasing the pack on the right side. It took a moment to find it, but I looked, saw it, and released the clip. I could