The instructor did command him to eject, but like most pilots, he stated, "All I knew was : as long as the sucker flies, I'm gonna stay inside." The instructor was free to leave at any time. Punching out is a violent thing. The forces typically compress a pilot's spine so much he ends up an inch shorter, sometimes with permanent back injuries. Fortunately, the student was one hell of a pilot.

As for me, I'd give the left or right of any redundant piece of my anatomy to get a good flight in a plane like the F-15. My company is going to be doing some operational architecture work for the Navy to help them develop a joint mission planning software package. I'm trying to make the case that we could do a much better job of it if we can go spend a few days with a fighter squadron and do all the steps from mission planning through a trip to the bombing range. Since it's a joint project, we'd need to spend equal time with the Air Force, too. The odds are against it but there's always hope!