Can anyone help with tips on how to bail out ?

After getting my Spitfire shot up in "Quick Combat" by flak or some ME-109s I've tried many times to bail out, but I figure I must be doing something wrong since nothing happens when I press the "o" (letter o) key three times.  I have no trouble opening the canopy, but then it seems no matter what I try I'm just destined to lurch about the sky like a drunken cicaida until another AA shell finishes me off or I fly myself into the scenery.

I think my speed should have been sufficiently slow and I was still flying reasonably straight & level - but still no go with bailing out.  I've tried both lowercase & uppercase "o", and even "0" (zero) instead, with no luck.  Short of learning to fly better & shoot straight (and so avoiding the damage), is there anything else I can try ?

(Just in case it's relevant ... I'm running the CFS3 "No CD" patch, and all other game features seem to be running smoothly as far as I can tell).

I spend more time bailing out than flying and I never have any trouble unless I'm too low that is. If your Spit is getting shot up by 109s, (I'm guessing it's the rather poor excuse for a Spit that M$ put in the sim) ditch it and get the MkXIVe from AvHistory. No more getting beat up by 109s