The effectiveness as pulsed igniters of plasma jets originally designed as continuous-flow radical generators, developed for flame stabilisation, is investigated with particular reference to ignition in aircraft gas turbines. It is found that these devices are able to ignite kerosene sprays in aircraft flame tubes more effectively than conventional high energy igniters, with either nitrogen or air as the plasma medium, in spite of the very low mean enthalpy of the plume and at the shortest of times attainable with a manual “on-off” switch. Further reductions in discharge times down to orders of 100ms permit the use of a compact capacitor-based power supply and this device was tested, at various levels of turbulence and pressures down to 1/4 atmospheric, using equipment at Leeds University. In tests with lean methane/air mixtures it proved to be as effective as the most incendiary fuel-wetted pulsed plasma jets in previous tests, in spite of the further dilution of the lean mixtures by the inert plasma medium. Sporadic tests at a high altitude test facility for jet engine combustors, however, suggested that it was rather less effective in igniting aviation kerosene sprays at the low initial rcactant temperatures which are likely to be encountered following extinction and loss of compression at high altitudes. It was inferred that this limitation was due to the low vapour pressure causing insufficient fuel vapour to be entrained into the plasma plume and this suggested as a remedy the use of a gaseous hydrocarbon as the plasma medium. Tests with methane resulted in the ejection of a massive ball of flame extending to about 25 cm in less than 10 ms, with very little carbon being deposited on the electrodes. This highly incendiary combination or flame and chemically active plasma involves the use of quite small amounts of fuel (such that the requirement of some 20 one second firings could be contained within the volume of one cylinder of lighter fuel, for example)