3 in 2 ?

[CaptainCaveMan]

Hello all!

I'm new to the world of EAA.

I have one simple question.

If I own/build/operate an experimental aircraft (e.g. - Ch701, Sonex, etc...) can I put 3 people in a two seater?

Example: Pilot weighs 185lbs. Passenger weighs 120lbs and kid sitting on passenger's lap weighs <60lbs.

The "extra" passenger in question would be wearing some form of "harness" that would attach to either the passenger (tandem) or the aircraft itself.

Thanks!

[Mike M]

Hello all!

I'm new to the world of EAA.

The "extra" passenger in question would be wearing some form of "harness" that would attach to either the passenger (tandem) or the aircraft itself.

Thanks!

not meaning to come across as a smart-aleck, but you ought to go back and bonk your cfi for letting you get by without learning:

Title 14: Aeronautics and Space§ 91.107 Use of safety belts, shoulder harnesses, and child restraint systems.

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=b3037f8ea3bcf93a80a402cb539387d3&rg n=div8&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.3.10.2.4.4&idno=14

... each person on board a U.S.-registered civil aircraft must occupy an approved seat or berth with a safety belt ... (or) be held by an adult who is occupying an approved seat or berth, provided that the person being held has not reached his or her second birthday and does not occupy or use any restraining device...

i won't even get into who approves the seats and belts in an experimental aircraft. the intent of the regulation is pretty clear.

[steveinindy]

The "extra" passenger in question would be wearing some form of "harness" that would attach to either the passenger (tandem) or the aircraft itself.

Strapping the kid to person strapped to the seat is a good way to almost guarantee that not only is the kid going to get hurt, but also the adult. It's going to increase the force on the restraints of the adult and the seat attachment points. The failure rate of restraints and seats in general aviation aircraft is rather high and probably contributes significantly to the number of people seriously injured and killed annually.

(or) be held by an adult who is occupying an approved seat or berth, provided that the person being held has not reached his or her second birthday

....and that's a way to guarantee a kid-shaped dent in whatever is immediately forward of that seat. The grip strength of an adult is insufficient to hold on to a child in even a hard landing scenario. There's a reason why this sort of activity is not allowed in cars anymore.

Basically if you want to haul more than two people (pilot and passenger), you need to build a plane with more than two seats. While you're at it do yourself a favor and tie the restraints to the main structure components of the aircraft and not simple welded protrusions or the seats themselves.

[CaptainCaveMan]

My CFI and I have been Bonked!

Thanks for the replies.

CCM

[Bill Greenwood]

If you are going to carry a child in a plane, private or airline, or a car, then put the child in a infant seat carrier which is properly seat belted in the seat.
If the child is too old to use a car seat carrier then then should use a seat belt and harness like an adult.
These days the airlines are used to having infant seats, but it was not always so. We always used infant seats in our plane, but the airlines were not always accepting, back then in the 80s. Once we were boarding the airline to fly to Denver and the stewarbitch claimed we could not use our car seat because it was "not approved for airline use". It was sold through an aviation catalog for airplane use, had a sticker on it, and was of good sturdy construction. The hag got very irate when I asked if she had a seat belt and was going to use it, and didn't our Son deserve the same protection? She wanted him to sit on our lap with no belt. Oh, once in the air we could use the seat, but not for takeoff and landing which was the most dangerous part.
She did not want to budge, nor did I . Back then, there was no TSA or I am sure she would have claimed I was interfering with the crew and tried to have me arrested as some terrorist.
Finally the captain, a decent man, came out of the cockpit and told the stewhag that he would accept responsibility and our Son got to ride buckled in like he should.
I really appreciated that. I wrote the airline and got some mealy mouth letter, but within a few months they were accepting the safety seats for kids.

[steveinindy]

If the child is too old to use a car seat carrier then then should use a seat belt and harness like an adult.

The same "rules" about booster seats for kids apply to aircraft and cars.

I really appreciated that. I wrote the airline and got some mealy mouth letter, but within a few months they were accepting the safety seats for kids.

A policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics which would have been bad news for them in a lawsuit is pretty much what silenced any objection from the airlines about kids and carseats.