Upgraded ejection seats coming to the T-38 Published Oct. 1, 2013 By Senior Airman Frank Casciotta 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Pilots flying T-38 Talons here are set to enjoy the safety of upgraded ejection seats in the coming months. The state of the art equipment will feature a safer ejection process for pilots in case of emergencies. "The main purpose of the new seats is to give pilots a wider window for ejection time," said Cedric Baker, the T-38 branch manager at Vance. The upgraded ejection seats are known as the Martin-Baker Mk US16T and employ an automatic ejection system. When a pilot pulls the ejection handle, the rear pilot will eject first, then the pilot in front will eject a few seconds after, automatically eliminating the potential of a mid-air collision between pilots if they pull the ejection handles too soon. The new seats are also capable of ejecting pilots from the ground, which was previously not an available option. "It does not matter who pulls the handle first," said Baker. "The ejection process is always the same. There is also a solo setting that will not eject both seats if a pilot is flying alone." The upgraded seats also come with a built-in parachute so pilots no longer have to wear one on their backs. While the upgraded seats have run the gambut of new safety technologies, there is a downside. "One of the drawbacks for the pilots is they no longer have storage space in the cockpit," said Baker. "They will have to use travel pods, which connect to the exterior of the aircraft. They are about seven-feet long and two-feet wide." So far, Vance has three of the 66 T-38s here equipped with the upgraded seats. Two of which have been flown by instructor pilots. Students can expect to use them starting the second week in November. "Starting this month we are going to install about seven of the seats per month," said Baker. "Each seat takes about three days to install."