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Have any of you guy's taken a child in your plane?? I would like to take my Grandson (6) for a flight. Did you just use a car booster seat??.
Thanks

Corby202 wrote:Have any of you guy's taken a child in your plane?? I would like to take my Grandson (6) for a flight. Did you just use a car booster seat??.
Thanks

I've taken 8 year old Young Eagles, some of whom were quite small in stature. If you have dual controls (like me) the problem with a booster seat is that it sits too far forward and does not allow the stick to be pulled back. So I have used small cushions or folded blankets instead. Check your stick movement.

I cut a notch for the control stick in a booster seat. The fabric still pulls tight over the notch, so you don't even notice that the notch is there. The stick pushes back on the fabric an inch or so at full aft deflection. Most of the stick interference is actually due to the assembly that barely protrudes through the seat and the notch removes any possible interference there. The notch I cut followed some obvious structural design features already part of the seat and ended up being bigger it absolutely needed to be, but I'm pretty satisfied that it won't block the controls.

You might find that an additional cushion either behind the booster seat or behind his back will make the seatbelt fit a little better, but I haven't tried that yet.

There's probably no way he will be able to see over the instrument panel, but my kids seem to think they are getting a good-enough view out the side window.

Hi Phil, my grandson was 8 on his first flight and just barely fills the fully tightened seat harness. You'll need some sort of booster seat for that reason alone. I tried to fit a car seat a couple of years ago but it interfered with the centre stick on my Sonex. Eventually we just used a couple of thin cushions.

Peter

Read the panel warning - when does a 8 year old understand the risks?

jaywa wrote:Read the panel warning - when does a 8 year old understand the risks?

When does an 8 year old understand the risk of riding in a car? Answer: he doesn't. So it's up to the parents to make that decision.

I started taking my kids when they were 5, first in the C140 and then in the 2-33. A chapter mate had built a very thick (6" maybe) igloo cooler type booster as a bottom layer and then you put a cushion on top. At 5 they could see out the front. Worked both in the 140 and the 2-33. Would not work in the Waiex due to stick interference.

I see taking young kids flying as an important part of the brainwashing. There may be risks but if they become pilots it will help them to make good choices throughout their lives.

Walmat sells an inflatable booster seat called Bubblebum. It is very light, doesn't interfere with the dual stick, and ties in well with the Sonex seat belts. It's $30.

"Read the panel warning - when does a 8 year old understand the risks?"

Are you being a bit of a troll here? I assume you mean do they understand the risks of flying at all, not the experimental side of it? Or are you asking if a child can discern the difference between certified and experimental aircraft?

And yes, I have flown with both my kids in the Sonex. The smaller one we cut a foam booster seat of our own making so he was comfortable and clear of everything. Good ANR headset a must.