that is a valid point but can a Ejection system be made absolutely reliable?
the Chopper in the movie the Eurocopter Tiger EC665 does not however have a ejection system every production wester helicopter lacks a Ejection system.
This is the Fear.
[video=youtube_share;W005xnJvaSg]http://youtu.be/W005xnJvaSg[/video]
The Pilot was lucky he Survived.
To date only Russia has actually employed Ejection seats in a production helicopter. The Us has tested it in the S72.
[video=youtube_share;jLhZN7fTwQQ]http://youtu.be/jLhZN7fTwQQ[/video]
Now the concept displayed in Goldeneye is based on a real system seen last in the F111 bomber. The Escape Crew Capsule does make some sense for such as the armored cockpit would protect the crew from the blades in the case they stayed.
another issue is ejection from a helicopter is not always a option for the whole crew. Most Helicopters are transports and lack any form of escape system.
The first video is just unnecessary for simple reason old helicopter that could not even fly to take this as an argument for getting into turning rotor blades, because in ejection system there will be no rotor blades.
Today such systems are very good and accurate, russia has tested them since late 70s and early 80s on different helicopters like Mi-2,Mi-4,Mi-8 and than later on V-80 (Ka-50). The blades are seperated and fly off through the centrifugal force, that is simple physics, so you have only to make sure you use a safe explosive that will not explode in case of hit by projectiles, temperature resistant and will not be effected by weather or moisture and than just add it to maintenance so they get switched for newer explosives like pyrobolts or whatever system they may prefer. A safe explosive like russians use for Kontakt5 ERA, which does not even explode under 30mm API, but explodes for RPGs and APFSDS.
The point is we can not determine how unsafe ejection seats for helicopters are when there are only two helicopters with such a system. I think it is very reliable to say that having ejection seats on your helicopter is a very good thing, because you are dead in case of destroyed rotor blades, especially when you have only two or less than 5 rotor blades that will create vibrations, which may even chop into the helicopter itself.
The other part you mentioned that the Goldeneye like ejection system would protect pilots from rotor blades that is wrong.
There are over 800 accidents of Mast bumping with UH1 and AH-1 which has an armored cockpit, of course a lot of acryl glass, but most western helicopters have big acryl glass and almst no structural metal/armor parts for cockpit. Among those accidents with "Mast bumping" there are a few accidents where the rotor blades decapitated AH-1 pilots, i don't know how rotor blades would face against real full armored cockpit with not such big and unarmored cockpits like on all western helicopters, but having an ejection system in a situation where you know that autorotation is out of question due the damage the helicopter has, i would luckily take any chances possible of the 1:10000 or whatever the chances are of failed ejection.
I think some people do confuse or try to portray it that if russians have ejection seats on Ka-52/Mi-28 they are not trained or not wanting to performe autorotation. In case of Ka-52 a co-axial system produces far more lift in autorotation and will have better chances to produce enough airfoil and land safely. Russian pilots do get training for autorotation, so in case they know they can land with autorotation they will do it.
