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"Ok, Charles, if something goes wrong and you hear me call, ‘Eject, eject, eject!', stick your head back, and pull very hard on these two handles... if it doesn't fire, then lean over and flick this lever here and try again... if that doesn't work, then pull this lever here and manually open the canopy. If it still doesn't fire, pull this lever here. That will override the canopy release and allow you to pop right through the glass.

Don't worry about the altitude - these seats operate from ground level. It'll spit you right up into the sky, and you'll come sailing down on the 'chute. And if the 'chute doesn't open, then here's the rip cord I told you about... ok?"

Words: Charlie Turner
Pictures: Webb Bland 

This feature first appeared in the December 2011 issue of Top Gear magazine