Very interesting stuff. Several guys I’ve know who actually ejected, stated that there was no hesitation to pull the handle (start the ejection process). One guy, in particular, was in the traffic pattern at Tyndall, had just pitched out of initial, rolled out on the downwind leg, and experienced at catastrophic engine failure. With the loud thumping, numerous warning lights, and the stick not responding, he pulled the handles. He said from that instant, everything happened in super slow motion. The canopy opened slower than normal and disappeared behind him. His seat started to slowly rise away from the cockpit. During this, between his boots, he could see the flame of the rocket motor from under the seat, his checklist and other paper slowly twirling around in the slow motion rush of wind, and the cockpit slowly moving away from him. The entire F-106 came into view engulfed in flame and smoke. Then a sharp tug and he was hanging in his chute. At this point everything returned to normal speed as he watched his jet impact the ground. Then, as he watched the enormous fireball boiling up directly below him, it was time to steer himself away and find a safe landing spot. He did so, landed uninjured, and was quickly pickup by a rescue helicopter.
Telling the story later, he said there were no options other than ejecting and the fear of doing so was non existent.
Twice in my career, once in the F-106 and once in the F-4, I've come close to having only that last option but, was fortunate enough to have at least one other option still available. Reminds me of a couple of stories. A case of flicker vertigo in the F-106 and the near dual PC failure in the F-4E.
