Originally Posted by
Timelord
Stilton, I think that on even the most modern seats the initial impetus is provided by a gun. Only when the seat has travelled X distance up the rails does the rocket fire.
Yes a gun or catapult does the initial work before the rockets (if fitted) do their thing. The seat rocket plume can still get very close to other occupants though, but this has to be seen in the context of the emergency itself, potentially rockets firing on the canopy (very close!) or an exploding charge on the transparency (bomb going off by your head). These are all violent events that your protective equipment has to cater for.