The Ejection Tie Club, founded by Sir James Martin and currently overseen by his grandson, Andrew Martin, represents a unique slice of aviation history. The first pilot member of the club was a British Royal Air Force serviceman who was expelled from Rhodesia in January 1957, has since grown to over 6,000 members. These individuals share the distinction of having their lives preserved by an ejection seat, designed and manufactured by the UK-based company, Martin-Baker. You enter an exclusive club that unifies all pilots whose lives we’ve helped save.
For the pilots who have ejected using a Martin-Baker seat, joining the Club is more than a mere sign-up process. It requires the verification of the ejection incident, as applicants are asked to provide their name, the aircraft, their air force, date of ejection, and a description of the incident to Martin-Baker.
Membership in the Ejection Tie Club is not merely ceremonial. It comes with a tangible symbol of their survival—a distinctive tie emblazoned with the recognized international danger symbol for an ejection seat, a red triangle. Additionally, members receive a certificate, a membership card, a tie, and a pin or brooch for women, all depicting the same symbol.
Moreover, members are given the option to purchase an exclusive timepiece—the Bremont MBI watch, featuring a red barrel and custom engraving that includes the member’s unique Tie Club membership number. Although this symbol of endurance and exclusivity is not included free of charge in the Tie Club pack, it offers an additional layer of identity to the aviators who have shared in this life-altering experience.
The company boasts more than 16,000 seats and 70 different aircraft types, the seats have saved the lives of 7,700 aircrew members since the first ejection in 1949.
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– TIL there is a club for people who have been ejected from an airplane seat. When you become a member they give you a commemorative tie, currently there are over 6,000 members.