Bail out procedure

[Snaps]

Ive been on the search for a little while now, for authentic procedures for bailing out of a plane during WW2.

Id like to know what exactly these pilots were told. Ive found emergency landing guides, and things of the sort, no bail out instructions yet. Help would be "very" apprieciated.

Thanks.

<S> Snaps

[Dragon Tamer]

This is how they did it for B-17s.



(Not really)

I remember hearing somewhere that pilots were often told to kick off of the stick while they were jumping out to make the plane literally throw them out through centrifugal force. I'm not sure how well that worked though. Other pilots were told to fly inverted and let themselves simply fall out of the aircraft.

[Draggon]

This is for a P-47 in 1945, but it probably was pretty close to all single engine aircraft of this time, I'm sure the twine engine birds had a different procedure, but this might help you.





P-47 Pilot Bailout with Wingman, WW2. Plane Under Control.

Gain altitude if it is necessary. Call Mayday (international distress signal) on channel designated for distress. Switch on emergency IFF. If time permits, contact controller and give pertinent information, such as altitude and course.

Jettison the canopy. Disconnect your shoulder harness, radio leads, oxygen tubing, and safety belt. Keep oxygen mask on to protect face from cold and fire. Pull up into a slow climb, bank the ship gently to the left, and go off the right wing. From this side the slip-stream will aid in clearing the tail. If you prefer you may roll the plane on its back, release the safety belt, and fall out with the plane inverted. Keep your hand away from the ripcord release, as the slipstream will jerk your arm before you are clear of the plane.

When jettisoning the canopy, remember to duck your head.

P-47 Thunderbolt Jettison Cockpit Canopy

2. Plane Under Control but on Fire.

Follow the normal procedure but do not open the canopy until last possible moment in order to keep flames and smoke from being sucked into the cockpit.

3. Plane Out of Control Not on Fire.

Follow the normal plane under control procedure as far as possible, but never release your safety belt until you are ready to leave the plane as in most cases you will be pulled or thrown clear by suction or some other force.

P-47 Pilot Parachute Bail Out with Ripcord If altitude permits, wait until you slow down before pulling the ripcord.

4. Plane Out of Control and on Fire.

Follow the normal out of control procedure, remembering not to open the canopy until the last possible moment.


Draggon Out: 

[Snaps]

Wow, that certainly gave me an expanded perspective on the prodedure of a bail-out. Im glad i posted because up until now i figured it was just jump and pray. I wonder what the difference is for bombers, since im fairly certain they didnt wear parachutes the entire time in the air. Thanks again guys.

[Volron]

Enter x 3. 

[Draggon]

Here is a video on bailing out of a P-38, You'll find it interesting seeing it really didn't matter if it was twin engine or single.
As for Bomber bailouts, from what I've read is... if your able to make it to the doors, it's like you said, jump and pray... and yes by the way everyone in a bombers wore a parachutes except, nose gunners, tail gunners and ball turret gunner's ( there wasn't enough room for them in these gun positions) Everyone else wore a parachute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7jTdzfPUGA

Draggon Out: 

[OldBull]

I had a dear friend who was a ball gunner in a B-24 out of Italy who bailed from a damaged A/C on a return to Italy, all of the rear gunners bailed thru the bombay doors. It was a planned and orderly bailout he was about the third man to leave the aircraft and had seen the first two jump feet first out of the Bombay door and could see how close they came to hitting their heads on the air frame before they cleared the aircraft so he decided to dive head first out of the plane and remembers feeling his feet hit the bulkhead just as he cleared the plane. The whole crew made successful jumps and were scattered all over northern Italy. He was two days getting picked up by US forces. He had landed near a small farming community and yes, he also had a couple of tails about a farmers daughter. He was a good man and a we became close friends, I miss him still.

[Guppy35]

I spent a lot of years on another Italy based 24 crew and got to know the surviving crew well.  They were shot down by Flak over Vienna in February 45.  The gunners practiced their bailout drill to be as fast as possible as they'd seen planes come apart before anyone could get out.  The tail gunner had it down to 3 seconds from opening the turret doors rolling to the rear escape hatch and out.  The top turret gunner was the same in getting unhooked and out the front of the bomb bay. Of the 12 man lead crew only five got out.  The tail gunners practice paid off as did the top turret gunner.  The radar Nav went out the bomb bay from the front and one waist gunner made it out the bomb bay from the rear.  The bombardier kicked open the nose gear doors and got out that way.  The rest rode it in when it spun.

[colmbo]

I met these two guys in Marathon, Fl while flying the B-24.  They had gone to gunnery school together and became waist gunners on the same B-24.  They were shot down somewhere over Europe and as the airplane spun down they were pinned in the back thinking they were going to die.  A wing came off of the airplane and they were thrown/crawled out through the waist windows.  They spent the remainder of the was as guests of Germany.  When they heard about the Collings Foundation flying the B-24 around they came out to go for a ride and had been doing so for several years when I met them.  The photo was take after I had flown them in Marathon…they thanked me for the ride…I replied that it was I who owed them a very big thank you.  Very nice guys.

[colmbo]

I wore a parachute while flying skydivers just in case things went bad.  When I landed I would unstrap from the parachute leaving it in the seat when I got out of the airplane.  One day a guy came up and was telling me how he used to fly a lot of acro and wore a parachute.  He too would unstrap from the parachute when exiting the airplane until one day he had an aircraft problem requiring him to bail out.  When he made the decision to exit he opened the canopy the reached down and started to unhook the parachute harness!  Ever since that conversation I would get out of the airplane and take the parachute off after I was out.