eli5: the F14 tomcat ejection- does it matter if the pilot or RIO initiates ejection

Question

In the original Top Gun, Maverick says that he cannot reach the ejection handles because he is pinned forward, which forces Goose to eject them out of the plane. Would the outcome have been different if Maverick was able to punch them out instead of Goose having to? Or would Goose still have crashed into the canopy?

In: 1

Answer 1

So maverick ejected in top gun, then he did it again I presume in the Mach 10 jet. At this point he’d be medically grounded due to the 2 ejection rule. Then he ejects from his f-18. No wonder he’s so short.