Flying With A New Baby

josephbelt01

josephbelt01

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Joe
Ok. So, how does one take the family flying with a new baby? Is it possible? I can't even imagine how the ear protection would work. Help!


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People do it. You could use those compress able foam earplugs. I wouldn't do it though. Leave the baby with grandma. It's not like the baby is going to enjoy it.
 
I didn't know they made those for babies. Perfect! I was thinking the clamping force would squish his head like a grape.


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Just keep the little guy away from 100LL or it'll be Vassar at best.:D
 
josephbelt01 said:
Ok. So, how does one take the family flying with a new baby? Is it possible? I can't even imagine how the ear protection would work. Help!


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Brought my SIL home with a fresh hatchling, the Travelair was quiet enough noise wasn't an issue, but roll up foam ear plugs would work fine if the baby lets them stay. I stayed around 1000' AGL no problems. If you need to climb, breast feeding during the climb keeps their ears cleared. I try to keep climbs and descents as shallow as practicable.
 
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Use the wax earplugs. The make a good seal and you don't have to shove anything down the baby's ear canals.

As Henning said, shallow climbs are better, and feeding or using a passifier help with the pressure in the ears.

I took mine up when he was pretty tiny, but not a newborn. Fell asleep before I taxied to the end of the runway.
 
John221us said:
People do it. You could use those compress able foam earplugs. I wouldn't do it though. Leave the baby with grandma. It's not like the baby is going to enjoy it.
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Actually babies do enjoy it, at least mine have. Plus if grandma is dead or has dementia, that doesn't work.

Anyway, Ems4Buds is what we used for infant hearing protection. 500 FPM climbs/descents. Low RPM cruise (quieter), nurse on climbs/descents. Really makes for some great memories. Don't forget your camera.
 
My granddaughter loves flying. Not a problem at all taking her along...
 

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How? However you want. Just don't put the baby in the luggage compartment. Your wife might get upset.

Hearing protection covered.

W/B permitting, have your wife sit in the back seat with the baby. Take it slowly. I recommend a bottle on climb and descent. Be prepared to turn around if there are problems.

Think of it this way - babies ride in cars at high altitudes 8-9000' and nobody thinks anything of it. Trust me, that baby is far more resilient than you give him credit for.
 
I wasn't a pilot when my son was an infant, but he never had the slightest problem flying, even at 7 months. And he truly enjoyed the scenery even at that age. Just let him see it. He wouldn't take a pacifier and we forgot to feed him on descent, cause he was enjoying himself that much.

There is no way you're getting a rear facing car seat in front. Put it in the back with another adult, preferably the child's other parent.
 
My son took his first trip at 6 months and loved it - passive muffs for his ears, climb/descent under 400fpm, cruise altitude 4500, 1:45 enroute, gave him a 3-ounce bottle on descent to help him pop his ears with swallowing. No issues whatsoever, going either direction. Both ways he played for the first half and slept for the second. Carseat fits well in the seatbelts and my wife took him out to play with him for a few minutes in cruise for this pic.

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Thanks for all the great ideas. I'm in the hospital now...waiting. It's like watching paint dry. I should jump on Amazon and get a set of those muffs while I wait. I've come prepared with Red Bull, pistachios, and chocolate covered pretzels. Am I the only one who believes hospitals need a bar?


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Hospitals are BYOB, you could try to talk someone into some morphine, or at least a Vallium.
 
josephbelt01 said:
Thanks for all the great ideas. I'm in the hospital now...waiting. It's like watching paint dry. I should jump on Amazon and get a set of those muffs while I wait. I've come prepared with Red Bull, pistachios, and chocolate covered pretzels. Am I the only one who believes hospitals need a bar?


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Joe, can we assume that you're waiting on a happy arrival? Or do you just like to go hang out at hospitals when you're bored of the airport?

Your first?
 
Exactly. Waiting on the happy arrival now. This will be the 2nd child, but I was in Iraq when the 1st was born. I missed out on the "waiting" experience, so this is the first time I've been subjected to this particular type of boredom combined with intense anxiety.


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Maybe put the PDA down and go fiddle with the wife?
 
There's a lot of waiting. Catch the baby, you'll be glad you did.

I caught 2 out of 3. 3rd was breach, so that was different.
 
Ear plugs work great, after that, we used the youth version of the DC H10-13.4, which is upgradable to the adult sized headband spring later.
 
14 hours and still waiting... This kid needs to come out.


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josephbelt01 said:
14 hours and still waiting... This kid needs to come out.


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Poor mom! I like your priorities already figuring how to get the baby in the plane. :lol:
 
Maybe he's in there foot end first. True sign a future TW pilot.
 
I used the Peltor Juniors. They work for babies, even if they show an older age range on the package. Plus you can use them as they get older. I put him in a car seat in the back, and my wife sat back there with him. That's one more nice thing about the Cardinal with its forward CG (and wide doors make it easy to install the seat). He fell asleep almost immediately, each way.

We put the earmuffs on him a few times before we ever took him to the airport to get him used to wearing them. He didn't bother them at all.

Also, we gave him his pacifier and/or a bottle for take off and landing. No problems at all. Just make sure you grease the landing.
 
PPC1052 said:
I used the Peltor Juniors. They work for babies, even if they show an older age range on the package. Plus you can use them as they get older. I put him in a car seat in the back, and my wife sat back there with him. That's one more nice thing about the Cardinal with its forward CG (and wide doors make it easy to install the seat). He fell asleep almost immediately, each way.

We put the earmuffs on him a few times before we ever took him to the airport to get him used to wearing them. He didn't bother them at all.

Also, we gave him his pacifier and/or a bottle for take off and landing. No problems at all. Just make sure you grease the landing.
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Peltor products are much more comfortable than DC IMO.
 
PPC1052 said:
I used the Peltor Juniors. They work for babies, even if they show an older age range on the package. Plus you can use them as they get older. I put him in a car seat in the back, and my wife sat back there with him. That's one more nice thing about the Cardinal with its forward CG (and wide doors make it easy to install the seat). He fell asleep almost immediately, each way.

We put the earmuffs on him a few times before we ever took him to the airport to get him used to wearing them. He didn't bother them at all.

Also, we gave him his pacifier and/or a bottle for take off and landing. No problems at all. Just make sure you grease the landing.
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Funny, mine just arrived today. My wife was alarmed by the "Age 13+" note on the package, but after further review, they fit snug enough on our Jack Russell that I think it'll be ok on a baby head. Six more weeks to go for us. Good luck.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
There's a lot of waiting. Catch the baby, you'll be glad you did.

I caught 2 out of 3. 3rd was breach, so that was different.
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I was very disappointed in the OB that delivered my son.. We waited 16 hours for him to come, and not only did i not get to catch, I didn't get to cut the cord. I had mentioned beforehand the desire, she brushed it off.
 
I already know I won't be catching or cutting anything since our 7 year old is here. I will have babysitting duty once the fun starts. I've been here 24 hours now and we're still waiting. I'm about to grab some WD-40. Works every time.


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Oh man, Hopefully Mrs Joe is hanging in there.
Hopefully things wrap up soon. That is a long time.

Good Luck!
 
Just buy some mutt muffs

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Probably can get the sizing right.

Ether way, if flying doesn't hurt my dogs ears (who has superior hearing to your infant) I think jr would be fine.

Just like flying a dog, be ready to clean up if they make a mess, make sure they don't eat stuff, and thell probably just sleep through it.
 
Poor kid. He will never hear the end of this...
 
It's done. Welcome Pierce - our newest PAX.


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You have to start them off right! 8 days old.

 
sferguson524 said:
I was very disappointed in the OB that delivered my son.. We waited 16 hours for him to come, and not only did i not get to catch, I didn't get to cut the cord. I had mentioned beforehand the desire, she brushed it off.
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We were specific in picking an OB. There are a lot of bad ones, and even more so-so ones.
 
Both my girl flew since they were a few weeks old. Wax plugs work well. Give your baby a bottle on decent and all is good. My youngest, Piper is now five and loves to fly the plane. Plays with my MS flight simulator all the time. Picks her plane, selects weather and takes off....still needs to work on landing. I grew up in a flying family and it is extremely gratifying to share the passion with my children.
 

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