I still go back to bailing out...
I think it should be a pretty violent thing, which IL2 didn't quite capture...
Maybe pilots should tumble a bit after coming out of their plane instead of the sky-diver's 4-point fall from IL-2:
I feel a bit crass relating this to real life, but here's actual guncam footage of pilots bailing out during the war:
Maybe your own bail out could be the same way. There won't be a physical body in the cockpit, but your view could mimic your escape with pulling back the canopy, turning, 'leaping out', and tumbling away from the plane...
Maybe the g-forces on the plane could limit your escape... If it's too violent, you aren't getting out at all (or it might just take longer).