# Belgian F16 pilot stuck on high voltage line after ejecting. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 19, 2019, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489 "2019-09-19T10:50:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/21 "2019-09-20T02:36:53Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Um, given the content of every other post in this thread, are you really under the impression that you just spotted an unintentional electricity pun? Wye does it matter? Is this a hot button issue for you? Maybe you need to pull up your pants, maybe jog a few circuits of your yard and regulate your emotions. Transform yourself into a positive person. I hope this resonates with you. Pspice up your life. It can be a real charge. (I’ve failed my parents and America) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/22 "2019-09-20T02:39:51Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Wye does it matter? Is this a hot button issue for you? Maybe you need to pull up your pants, maybe jog a few circuits of your yard and regulate your emotions. Transform yourself into a positive person. I hope this resonates with you. Pspice up your life. It can be a real charge. > (I’ve failed my parents and America) Socket to me, dude. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/23 "2019-09-20T02:50:39Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > (I’ve failed my parents and America) No, the seeds for America’s failure date to November 1980 when we chose to elect Ron. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/24 "2019-09-20T05:26:57Z")
I would like to know Watt happens next. Probably needs to go to a hospital, bet he’ll be exstatic once they discharge him. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/25 "2019-09-20T12:14:03Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > [Belgian F-16 crash pilot ejects on to power line](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49751536) > Hope the police don’t charge him with anything. > All in all a pretty lousy if electrifying morning for the fella. Good thing the coppers didn’t show up. The worst that can happen is that the pilot will be grounded. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/26 "2019-09-20T13:18:48Z")
Well fighter pilots live a very livewire life. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2019, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/27 "2019-09-20T23:35:00Z")
No information about how the investigation will be conducted, or who will be the conductor. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2019, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/28 "2019-09-21T13:53:11Z")
Maybe a free ticket to a cultural event will make him feel better. Think he’s a bigger fan of ELO or AC/DC? (Sometimes I hate the creative part of my brain). ---
**Author:** ![Space\_Vegetable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Space\_Vegetable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vegetable)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/29 "2019-09-23T07:58:02Z")
After something so nearly terminal, he might be amped up. Spending 50 or 60 cycles in aa small cell, reading an ode and sipping juice (I’ll give a plug to currant), would bring him down to earth. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/30 "2019-09-23T08:05:50Z")
> [@darren garrison](#): > > volts. > > (am i doing it right?) > [@snfaulkner](#): > > ohm my! > (i hate myself) > [@quicksilver](#): > > thanks for the post on current events. > [@two many cats](#): > > it’s funny because he’s belgian. > [@Slash1972](#): > > i couldn’t resist reading that story, after seeing how much interest it was generating. > [@snfaulkner](#): > > it’s a high tension situation. > > (ugh, more self loathing) > [@running\_coach](#): > > you said it twice. That’s re-volting. > [@snfaulkner](#): > > your reactance to my posts will not impedance my self hatred. In fact it induces it further. > (please kill me) > [@spiderman](#): > > naw, we wouldn’t do that; now just sit down in this nice [chair](https://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/electric-chair.jpg). > [@hampshire](#): > > he wasn’t sure if he could handle the f16 that day but said he couldn’t resistor. > [@riemann](#): > > no, but i’m not going to rectify it. > [@snfaulkner](#): > > wye does it matter? Is this a hot button issue for you? Maybe you need to pull up your pants, maybe jog a few circuits of your yard and regulate your emotions. Transform yourself into a positive person. I hope this resonates with you. Pspice up your life. It can be a real charge. > (i’ve failed my parents and america) > [@running\_coach](#): > > socket to me, dude. > [@riemann](#): > > no, the seeds for america’s failure date to november 1980 when we chose to elect ron. > [@isosleepy](#): > > i would like to know watt happens next. Probably needs to go to a hospital, bet he’ll be exstatic once they discharge him. > [@ftg](#): > > good thing the coppers didn’t show up. The worst that can happen is that the pilot will be grounded. > [@ak84](#): > > well fighter pilots live a very livewire life. > [@tokyobayer](#): > > no information about how the investigation will be conducted, or who will be the conductor. > [@annie-xmas](#): > > maybe a free ticket to a cultural event will make him feel better. Think he’s a bigger fan of elo or ac/dc? > > (sometimes i hate the creative part of my brain). > [@space vegetable](#): > > after something so nearly terminal, he might be amped up. Spending 50 or 60 cycles in aa small cell, reading an ode and sipping juice (i’ll give a plug to currant), would bring him down to earth. that’s it. You’re all grounded. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/31 "2019-09-23T14:05:56Z")
No need to blow a fuse. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/32 "2019-09-23T14:34:38Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > that’s it. You’re all grounded. What is our punishment; are you taking away our electronics? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/33 "2019-09-23T14:49:33Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > What is our punishment; are you taking away our electronics? **Spiderman** :Unplugged ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/34 "2019-09-23T16:11:49Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > What is our punishment; are you taking away our electronics? Something rather negative rather than neutral. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/35 "2019-09-23T16:26:41Z")
Potentially a career transformer. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/36 "2019-09-23T17:06:55Z")
I hope he didn’t blackout during the event. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/37 "2019-09-23T20:27:14Z")
This incident reminds me of the old apocryphal story of a fighter pilot whose parachute got tangled up in high-voltage power lines. As the story goes, a well-meaning farmer tries to help the guy down instead of calling for help. The pilot keeps yelling for the farmer to contact the authorities (so that the power line can be de-energized), but the farmer either doesn’t hear him or understand what he’s saying and keeps trying to rescue the pilot. At some point, the farmer gets a ladder and starts climbing up. :eek: The pilot realizes that there’s a good chance the power line voltage will arc through himself, the farmer, and the ladder and kill both of them if the farmer gets too close. (Hanging from the power line and being ungrounded, the pilot is fine, just like a bird on a power line.) So anyway, the farmer finally gets the message to back off when the pilot pulls out his service revolver and points it at the farmer. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/38 "2019-09-23T20:33:39Z")
Coulda been worse. He coulda been sucked into a wind turbine farm. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/39 "2019-09-24T13:35:06Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > It’s funny because he’s Belgian. There’s no waffling about that. (I went a different way with the puns. Shocking!) ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2019, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489/41 "2019-09-24T13:48:02Z")
> [@Cyros](#): > > There’s no waffling about that. > > (I went a different way with the puns. Shocking!) For making bad puns we’ll whip you, then we’ll cream you…top that! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belgian-f16-pilot-stuck-on-high-voltage-line-after-ejecting/840489.md?page=3)