Almost banged myself out during the night solo climb for height..torch lanyard was too long and torch snagged the seat handle...good hard yank to retrieve torch produced a sickening 'clunk'....would have been a long drop from FL30+...
Nearly happened to a chum at RAFC during night flying. We were told that we couldn't have official RAF torches, so had to buy our own and secure them to our flying suits. Said chum did just that - and got his torch lanyard tangled in the bottom handle....
Amazing that the RAF in those days would issue you with Qty 1 Provosts, Jet, Officers for the flying of, but refused to allow students to draw nighf flying torches....
