Two of our instructors decided to see whether it was feasible, wearing parachutes, to abandon the aircraft via the front and back knock-out side panels in the canopy. Perhaps a five-dollar bill was riding on the outcome. They were not the mountainous Americans you see today, but wiry young men. One got hopelessly jammed half way, like Pooh Bear, and it took a lot of manhandling to push him back into the cockpit. The other got out, but it took over five minutes.
Just missing the necessary adrenaline Danny.
RAAF chap had a ditching from a height which precluded getting the canopy open in time. Exited through a knock out panel with chute, an exercise he was unable to repeat on dry land later.
Keep up the great yarns, think you missed a great vocation. Know much of the US country side you talk of, having trained out of Pensacola - brings back memories.