The ‘violent’ reality of ejecting from an F-15 faced by brave US pilots revealed: ‘Instantaneous 10 to 20 Gs of force’
By Caitlin McCormack
Published April 6, 2026, 8:23 p.m. ET
A Navy veteran pulled back the curtain on the “violent” experience airmen like the ones on the downed F-15E endure when ejecting from an aircraft — revealing the emergency maneuver includes little to no parachute training.
Matthew “Whiz” Buckley, a Topgun graduate and president of the No Fallen Heroes Foundation, told The Post that the Air Force colonel and his pilot made “a pretty stark choice to either die or eject” last week when they were shot down over Iran.
Few would know better than Buckley, who piloted F-18 Hornets in 44 combat missions during two tours in Iraq.
“You’re always worried about the condition of the aviator and aircrew, if they had to eject, because ejecting is one of the most violent experiences a body can go through,” Buckley explained, noting that no human is built to withstand “instantaneous 10 to 20 Gs of force.”
Buckley described the “rocket ride” combined with “500 miles an hour of wind blast” as a recipe for disaster if the ejector’s body isn’t in the perfect position.
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https://nypost.com/2026/04/06/world-news/f-15e-pilots-face-violent-reality-when-ejecting-from-plane-expert/