[Sponge]

Yes it is a genuine picture -- and the seat did save his ass (no put intended)

It is the same seat I fly with -- the ACES II : as stated by John it is a zero/zero seat -- the only thing that will get you if you are in the air is if you have a decent rate towards the ground while you eject -- in this case it was critical for him to recover to close to level before ejecting or he would have hit the earth as his chute deployed.

In the F-16 the pilot pulls a ring between his legs -- this is due to the fact there is no stick in the center -- in other aircraft (A-10/F-15) there is a handle on each side of the seat the pilot pulls to eject. It is a great seat -- only some of the russian seats come close or surpass it. I have a number of friends still alive due to its ability.

The canopy tends to come off in Air Force aircraft -- but other (like AV-8B Harrier) have det cord in the canopy that blows when the handles are pulled to ensure the seat can get out

Great pictures - lucky more people were not hurt.. good job by the pilot (once he knew he was going to crash).

From an past A-10 demonstration pilot...