Inside the Exclusive Club for Ejected Pilots

Ron Bath's initiation into one of aviation's strangest clubs began with a bird strike at nearly 700mph over Nevada and ended with him rocketing through his Phantom's canopy, breaking his back and neck on impact. As Marcus Weisgerber reports in the Wall Street Journal, that 1980s ejection made Bath one of the 7,800-plus people whose lives have been saved by Martin-Baker ejection seats—and eligible for membership in the company's quietly famous "tie club." Since 1957, verified ejectees have been assigned a number and sent a navy silk tie patterned with tiny red triangles, plus a certificate, patch, and pin.

More than 250 members have been ejected twice, and one has been ejected an incredible four times, Weisgerber reports. In addition to the tie, members may receive a special Bremont watch, engraved with their ejection number and date. It comes at a steep price, though fellow pilots often chip in to cover the cost. Rival seat maker Collins Aerospace runs its own Grasshopper Club, offering plaques, pins, patches, and coins for survivors, including Air Force pilots shot down over Iran this year. For the full story of these unlikely fraternities and the tales of survival behind them, go read Weisgerber's piece in the Journal.