Seat Belts & Harnesses

brien23

brien23

Pattern Altitude
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
1,504
Location
Oak Harbor
Display Name
Display name:
Brien
Shoulder harness, would you ride in a GA plane with only a seat belt in the front seat. Most people think nothing of getting in a car and putting on the seat belt with shoulder harness why would you not want one in your plane. Just how many people that own older aircraft have not added a shoulder harness or 4 point restraint to their aircraft, the cost is not that much.
 
My first plane only had lap belts, now plane has reels and rotary buckles

Depends on what you’re doing with it, off airport stuff I’d want shoulder reels and good buckles.

If you are doing flying with wheels pants lap belts are aaight, seems most accidents on airport are ether minor, might need stitches, or the belts just hold the corpse


ktup-flyer said:
Mine has the crappy Cessna shoulder harness. I want BAS inertia reels
Click to expand...

BAS rocks, but paying thousands and having it STCed to your SN is BS.
 
Ive read too many times where front seat passengers banged up their face in small accidents because all they had was a lap belt. First thing I did to my Cherokee was put in shoulder harnesses. I always joke with first time fliers that those are for the aerobatics we are about to do. haha I would rather not fly front seat in a plane with only a lap belt. But hey they plane has flown 50 years without them. I view them like insurance, its there if I ever need them but I sure plan on not needing them.
 
No shoulder harness? No go.

Both of my planes have Hooker manual Y straps. My choice. My Cub has a Y strap in the rear as well. The Skywagon has diagonal shoulder straps for the back seats.
 
Lap belts are required to meet TSO standards. Shoulder belts are not. AC 43.13-2B chapter 9 provides guidance for adding shoulder harnesses. No approval required if you follow the instructions.
 
After investigating this last accident I worked the short answer is a HECK NOO. I almost want a five point in my aircraft.
 
What are these things you call seat belts again.?? :lol:

Depends on the plane and the type flying I am doing.

I have driven cars that were not equipped with seat belts from the factory, but I don't think I would fly a plane without at least a lap belt.

Has anyone ever landed and parked the plane then reach down to discover the belts came unfastened during the flight.??
 
brien23 said:
Shoulder harness, would you ride in a GA plane with only a seat belt in the front seat. Most people think nothing of getting in a car and putting on the seat belt with shoulder harness why would you not want one in your plane. Just how many people that own older aircraft have not added a shoulder harness or 4 point restraint to their aircraft, the cost is not that much.
Click to expand...

Just another post from someone that says that if we don’t agree with a specific viewpoint, we are being reckless. Thanks.
 
I have lap and shoulder belts in the Tiger, but am considering at next Annual having AmSafe SOARS air bag belt system installed.
Any PIREPS here?
 
Last edited:
My first upgrade was a set of hooker harnesses...

Was having coffee with my mechanic, we were talking accidents. He said he had repaired two planes after fatalities for the families to sell, he said neither plane took an insane amount of work to get airworthy again... both accidents the deaths were caused by the face plant forward with only having lapbelts.

I had him put the harnesses in, I didn’t help nor even prep it and parts and labor for two installed was $750... worth every dime
 
been in my list of things to do for about 3 years now.. 4 point hooker that is, already have the shoulder one
 
Zeldman said:
...Has anyone ever landed and parked the plane then reach down to discover the belts came unfastened during the flight.??
Click to expand...

No but have reached down to find I never fastened it in the first place.
 
no....never.

I need to go dig up the study regarding the postmortem on GA fatalities. It's something like a majority of the fatalities are due to head and neck trauma that can be extremely reduced, or mitigated, by using shoulder belts/harnesses. Gary and his bride were spared a blessing of life in his accident....thankfully they are here.
 
James331 said:
My first plane only had lap belts, now plane has reels and rotary buckles

Depends on what you’re doing with it, off airport stuff I’d want shoulder reels and good buckles.

If you are doing flying with wheels pants lap belts are aaight, seems most accidents on airport are ether minor, might need stitches, or the belts just hold the corpse

BAS rocks, but paying thousands and having it STCed to your SN is BS.
Click to expand...

It's often the off-airport forced landings that kill folks without shoulder harnesses. Just planning to stick with paved runways is no guarantee of safety with a lap belt.
 
We have four point harnesses. I don't like them, but the other guys wanted them. Not worth the mucking with in my view, but I can deal with them.
 
Rgbeard said:
Just another post from someone that says that if we don’t agree with a specific viewpoint, we are being reckless. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Not sure I posted this as a viewpoint, someone I know of had a small crunch in a C-150 lap belt only, real bad picture of him and wife face plant in instrument panel. If this post cause even one person to install 4 point harness over a lap belt it,s worth it to me.
 
Stewartb said:
Lap belts are required to meet TSO standards. Shoulder belts are not. AC 43.13-2B chapter 9 provides guidance for adding shoulder harnesses. No approval required if you follow the instructions.
Click to expand...

Maybe Light Sport standards are different?

My Sky Arrow has no lap belts, just two shoulder harnesses connecting to a crotch strap.

I recall they offered a retrofit kit to install lap belts, but the price was over $1,000. Being Experimental, I could come up with my own solution, but have never been motivated enough to do so. With no lap belt, there’s the possibility of “submarining” out from under the shoulder belts, causing possible groin/pelvis injury from the crotch strap (OUCH!). Still on my “maybe someday” list - ADSB out is a higher priority right now.

Back to the OP, I would not hesitate to fly in a plane without shoulder harnesses on an occasional basis. More than occasional and I’d definitely want a plan to get them installed.
 
Silvaire said:
No but have reached down to find I never fastened it in the first place.
Click to expand...

On my second solo XC, I got back to my home airport, landed, taxied back and when I was parking realized I didn't have my shoulder strap fastened (lap belt was on, at least). I was so excited during the XC, I forgot. But it made me realize the importance of following checklists!
 
I have them in the front seats in my Bonanza. I haven't been able to find any options to add them to the rear seats, but would probably do that if they were available (my Sierra had them in all seats); although I'm not sure what statistics say about rear seat passengers with only lap belts.
 
bicycle helmets would add exponentially too....but most would feel ridiculous wearing them.
 
1E9363D9-FB57-45D1-B2A2-A92408590206.jpeg Find the attach point, measure, and call Hooker. They use non-handed seaplane bails to clip the added shoulder harness into a standard seatbelt buckle.
 
The Cub has original style lap only belts.
There are days (like yesterday) when I wish it had military style belts and harnesses.
 
It's simple to add Y harnesses in a Cub. Simpler than most planes. Too many things to hit my head on in a Cub. Y harnesses are important. Even with harnesses I won't fly a Cub without a helmet.
 
They make some pretty good helmets these days that aren't like wearing a hollowed out bowling ball on your head. I've been thinking about it.
 
brien23 said:
Shoulder harness, would you ride in a GA plane with only a seat belt in the front seat. Most people think nothing of getting in a car and putting on the seat belt with shoulder harness why would you not want one in your plane. Just how many people that own older aircraft have not added a shoulder harness or 4 point restraint to their aircraft, the cost is not that much.
Click to expand...

Considering my net worth does not accommodate the budget for kerosene......... Yes.
 
Sundancer said:
We have four point harnesses. I don't like them, but the other guys wanted them. Not worth the mucking with in my view, but I can deal with them.
Click to expand...


Static or reel?
 
James331 said:
Static or reel?
Click to expand...
Not a fan of either; annoying, get in the way, etc. Understand the safety value, just not enough to put up with them. The other guys wanted them, and so I went along.
 
Sundancer said:
Not a fan of either; annoying, get in the way, etc. Understand the safety value, just not enough to put up with them. The other guys wanted them, and so I went along.
Click to expand...

The reels really win on a cost benefit for the tech
 
Sundancer said:
Not a fan of either; annoying, get in the way, etc. Understand the safety value, just not enough to put up with them. The other guys wanted them, and so I went along.
Click to expand...
You are like my mother in law. She still can’t wear a seat belt in the back of the car. But my rule is that she doesn’t get to sit back there with my son without her seat belt. I don’t care if she wants to get hurt, but I don’t like meat missiles flying around my car injuring passengers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top