I ran across this article and got a few good laughs out of it. Serious situation aside, the author knows how to write a good article!

“The passenger’s experience in the back seat of the Rafale would be brief.“

That line got me good.

Wow, sounds like a complete clown show all around.  On every incentive ride I've ever given we've had a aircrew flight equipment technician accompany the incentive rider to the jet.  They help the rider get buckled in a make sure it all looks good.  Then I go up the ladder and double check everything as they're my liability and responsibility.  I also remind them that if they're going to reach for anything, they need to grab the "towel racks" in the canopy frame...not the big yellow/black handle between their legs.  

Definitely. As funny as the article was, the guy’s lucky he didn’t sustain more serious injuries! The whole joy ride feel to things would give me the friggin’ heebie-jeebies if I was anywhere even remotely involved in a charlie foxtrot of that order.

Will he get a watch?  ??

Interesting. I gave dozens of incentive and fam rides in the F-15E and T-38, and never had a life support/AFE person come out to the jet with us.

Even when I gave a couple rides to some celebrities....publicist, PA photographer, etc, all came out, but nobody to help get them strapped in.  The most I had with some folks was another pilot who came out to help.

Do you know Bob Ruth or Kevin Coleman?   Jeannie Flynn?

Yup, every incentive ride I've ever done (Vipers), we've had an AFE troop there.  I'm a Guard guy so I've been at the same base my entire flying career, so it might just be a local procedure.  They strap them in and check them over, then I go up the ladder and double check everything.  We also have a PA photographer come out for every incentive ride as well.   It's the same whether it's home station or TDY...AFE troop and PA are always there.

With the exception of Tally Flynn, both of those fellas pre-date my time flying the Strike.  Tally was a Weapons School instructor when I was on my first ops tour.

I worked for Bob Ruth(Ruthmo) at 9 AF/Stan Eval at Shaw.   Prior to that Ruth was a SQ/CC as SJ prior to Desert Storm.   When things kicked off and everyone deployed he(Ruth) was still in school doing the transition from F-4s to F-15E.  He eventually deployed.  Early on after Eberly was shot down Ruth took his place.

Anyway in relation to incentive rides Ruth had a story.   After the drawdown Ruth was chosen to do some incentive rides for crew chiefs back at Seymour.  I think he said it might have been he first flight after he got back home.  Up to that point he always had a WSO in the rear seat.   So when it came time for the first crew chief sortie Ruth could not figure out how to turn on the radios because the WSO had always done it.   lol

I worked with Coleman at Robins doing PDM stuff.  At that timeframe, late 90's, Coleman was the high time combat sortie dude for the mud hen.

I just remember when Flynn was still a newbie.  Heard good things about her.

Sounds like he had a blast...

There's a video out there that goes through the incident report.

Amazingly, the system was set so that a pull from the back seat should have punched both seats out.

There was a failure in the sequence, so that only the rear seat let loose. Once the pilot landed, they had to quarantine the jet for 24 hours in case the front seat decided to fire.

Talk about a lucky failure!

ETA: Never mind...it's in the article poster in the OP.

I'd have to suggest some fault with the pilot and the crew on this one. 4.5Gs to -0.63 is something that a passenger, especially an older or heavier passenger should be briefed on before the flight. And ejection seats... I got a serious briefing on those and the ejection protocol. "We are only ejecting if we lose a wing or are on fire. I will say 'Eject Eject Eject' at which point, you pull the handle. If you don't, I will say it again and will eject"