Toddler in a 172

RileyMitchum

RileyMitchum

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RileyMitchum
Hey guys I am new here, but have browsed the forums before. First of all let me introduce myself. My name is Riley and I am a fairly new private pilot (Since October 2012), I did my training through the Civil Air Patrol. Anyway my question is regarding toddlers in a Cessna 172. Since I've gotten my certificate I have only taken up one passenger, my dad. But my sister and her son (3 years old) as well as her husband want to go up. So I am curious as to the best way to fly with a 3 year old. Is a car seat/booster seat good for a toddler in a plane, and do flight schools mind if you strap one in a rental plane? I know this is a lot of information but I would appreciate any answers.

-Riley
 
I fly with a buddy and his 6-month old frequently. He just belts the car carrier into the back seat, puts on her ear protection, gives her the bottle, and off we go.
 
Both of my kids started flying with me around the age of one. For a 3 year old, I will say the car seat is the best. It secures just fine with the basic aircraft seat belt and keeps them pretty comfy.

I've used that in plenty of rentals without issue.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Asked my bride. She says the car seat, a headset that FITS, and a number of toys, etc. to keep her/him occupied, as well as their favorite beverage in a bottle/sippy cup, is the best choice.
She does advocate shorter legs, if the flight is long. When the kids were small we never had them up longer than about 90 minutes in a leg, FWIW.
 
Thanks for the responses guys! I'll make sure he has his sippy full of chocolate milk! That should help with the ears popping too, right? The flight won't be long, maybe an hour. Just want to give him and his mom the experience of flying, safely of course.
 
RileyMitchum said:
Thanks for the responses guys! I'll make sure he has his sippy full of chocolate milk! That should help with the ears popping too, right? The flight won't be long, maybe an hour. Just want to give him and his mom the experience of flying, safely of course.
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Sippy cups are good.

For cross-country flights, I have found the 3 critical items are:
Portable DVD player
Sippy cup
Snacks
 
If they are still in diapers/pull-ups, enjoy it while you can. Cross country travel (especially IFR) becomes alot more problematic when they start wearing underwear.
 
Watch the climb and especially descent rates. Kids can't clear their ears like adults can. I'd keep it to 500 fpm down max.
 
I didn't think about the climb, thanks! Also he's out of the diapers/pull-ups so he'll be going before we leave... Would it be best for the carseat to be in the front, or back? I was thinking the front would have a better view for him and maybe prevent some motion sickness.
 
RileyMitchum said:
I didn't think about the climb, thanks! Also he's out of the diapers/pull-ups so he'll be going before we leave... Would it be best for the carseat to be in the front, or back? I was thinking the front would have a better view for him and maybe prevent some motion sickness.
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I always put the kids in the back....even when it is just me and my daughter.

Car seat in front puts legs too close to yoke.


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RileyMitchum said:
I didn't think about the climb, thanks! Also he's out of the diapers/pull-ups so he'll be going before we leave... Would it be best for the carseat to be in the front, or back? I was thinking the front would have a better view for him and maybe prevent some motion sickness.
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Climb is an issue but its more pronounced and problematic on the descent. Saving some juice for the descent helps too. The motion of swallowing can help relieve pressure in the ears. Mostly I'd aim for a 400fpm descent and no more than 500fpm.
 
I wouldnt think they could reach anything in the car seat if you push the seat back, but that makes sense. Thanks for the decent info, I'll keep it shallow. I want this to be a fun flight. Are there any specific FARs regarding children in GA aircraft (I.e. car seats, or the he at which you no longer use them, or the specific type to be used)?
 
You can use any car seat with the DoT approval sticker (see below) and strap that into the aircraft using the aircraft seat belts. However, the FAA does not permit the use of any booster seat. See 14 CFR 91.107 for details.
(B ) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(3)(iii)(B )(4) of this action, the approved child restraint system bears one or more labels as follows:
(1) Seats manufactured to U.S. standards between January 1, 1981, and February 25, 1985, must bear the label: "This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards.";
(2) Seats manufactured to U.S. standards on or after February 26, 1985, must bear two labels:
(i) "This child restraint system conforms to all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards"; and
(ii) "THIS RESTRAINT IS CERTIFIED FOR USE IN MOTOR VEHICLES AND AIRCRAFT"
...
(4) Except as provided in Sec. 91.107(a)(3)(iii)(B )(3)(iii) and Sec. 91.107(a)(3)(iii)(B )(3)(iv), booster-type child restraint systems (as defined in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213 (49 CFR 571.213)), vest- and harness-type child restraint systems, and lap held child restraints are not approved for use in aircraft;
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Thanks for the reference! I guess I should have browsed the FARs myself a bit before asking. I'll have to check out his car seat and see if its regulation.
 
I take my 6 month old up regularly.

She is fine with it. I put the headset on (Lightspeed adult with a head spacer) and strap the car seat in.

I climb and 500 fpm and descend about 300-400.

I do not plug the headset in, i just activate the the ANR.
 
RileyMitchum said:
Hey guys I am new here, but have browsed the forums before. First of all let me introduce myself. My name is Riley and I am a fairly new private pilot (Since October 2012), I did my training through the Civil Air Patrol. Anyway my question is regarding toddlers in a Cessna 172. Since I've gotten my certificate I have only taken up one passenger, my dad. But my sister and her son (3 years old) as well as her husband want to go up. So I am curious as to the best way to fly with a 3 year old. Is a car seat/booster seat good for a toddler in a plane, and do flight schools mind if you strap one in a rental plane? I know this is a lot of information but I would appreciate any answers.

-Riley
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First... Welcome to POA.....

From your details, I wish you well finding an owner of 172 that will rent to someone who wants to take a 3 year old armed with a chocolate filled sippy cup... I can just see the stains on the seats and carpet now...:eek:
 
N801BH said:
First... Welcome to POA.....

From your details, I wish you well finding an owner of 172 that will rent to someone who wants to take a 3 year old armed with a chocolate filled sippy cup... I can just see the stains on the seats and carpet now...:eek:
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Thanks, looks like an awesome forum! Also, the sippy cup has a screw on lid. Hopefully we can avoid messes, he's usually pretty careful. But now that I think about it water might not be a bad idea. :dunno:
 
Sweet. I was needing answers on this very topic myself. I'll be taking my 13 month old boy on a little jaunt tomorrow and I had been wondering about the child seats. We'll just be doing 1 hr. legs with car seat in back of a 172. I figured we'd just put some cotton in his ears.
 
I was thinking about the chocolate mild thing... Just open a large trash bag and put it under him like a drop cloth for painting in your house. That ought to cover potential spills
 
Fearless Tower said:
I always put the kids in the back....even when it is just me and my daughter.

Car seat in front puts legs too close to yoke.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
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Yes, that's a big worry.

And the view from the back seat of a 172 is a whole lot better than you might think. Kids see BETTER from back there because the window is nice and low, and there is no instrument panel in the way. Even with the car seat, they usually can't see over the instrument panel.

FYI, booster seats are technically illegal on aircraft, but the reasons have to do with airliners and don't make a lot of sense for light aircraft. There is a decapitation risk on an airliner seat, if the seat were to break in severe turbulence or a hard landing. True car seats with an FAA approval sticker (and many of them have this) are fine.

This is a lot easier when they get a few years older. But even now (my son is 8), a potty break is part of preflight.
 
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bluesky74656 said:
I'm 26 and a potty break is still part of preflight.
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As it is for me.

But I doubt you have to deal with the "I don't have to go now" thing.

I've had to show my kid a "Cessna bathroom" (Gatorade bottle) a couple of times, and had to have him imagine even light turbulence 30 minutes from anywhere over the mountains with a full bladder. That one usually gets compliance...along with telling him that if he pees on the airplane, he gets to clean it up.
 
I took Patrick for his first airplane ride today and he did great! Actually, he slept the whole time :)

894113_644435061575_179914234_o.jpg
 
^^ awesome! Looks like you guys had fun. How'd the wife like it? Mine loved our first flight.
 
MAKG1 said:
As it is for me.

But I doubt you have to deal with the "I don't have to go now" thing.

I've had to show my kid a "Cessna bathroom" (Gatorade bottle) a couple of times, and had to have him imagine even light turbulence 30 minutes from anywhere over the mountains with a full bladder. That one usually gets compliance...along with telling him that if he pees on the airplane, he gets to clean it up.
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LOL...maybe. My boy thinks getting to p in the bottle is the coolest thing ever (mostly to torture mom I'm sure). Of course, the girl would pop first.
 
N801BH said:
Ha....

Of course she had a good time.... She was SLEEPING... :yes:

And when rug rats sleep they can't soil their diapers..:no::dunno:
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Actually, by she, I mean the wife, as previously asked about. She was wide awake and does not have a tendency to soil diapers :rofl:
 
MAKG1 said:
Huh? I only wish that were true.

Waking up from just about every nap meant a diaper change, in my experience.

I don't miss that.....
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I take your word for it.... I don't have kids...:no::no::nonod:
 
OkieFlyer said:
She had a good time too. I hope the OP has as good a time as we did.
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That looks great! Hope it all goes smoothly for me. I haven't taken him up yet, still waiting on mine and his moms schedules to line up, hopefully soon though!
 
I have been taking my daughter up since she was a few months old, she didn't care at all until she was about 2 1/2, then decided she was scared and would imediately start screaming from liftoff untill touchdown. I didn't take her for about a year, then had a talk with her and took her again and she absolutely loves it now. She is now 4 1/2 and beggs me to take her constantly. My twin boys got their first flight when they were almost 7 months, they fell asleep while taxiing out and didn't wake up the entire flight...which is a good way to judge your landings, if you can keep two sleeping babies from waking on touchdown it must have been good :D
They are almost 2 now and I really need to get them back up with me
 

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Hate to revive such an old thread but finally got around to taking my nephew up. Thanks for all the tips and suggestions! He was a little nervous and just wanted to look at the airplane but once we got there he wanted to go and was excited. After takeoff I don't think he moved his head very much, he was glued to his seat. He stayed up for about a half hour and then was ready to go. He really enjoyed it and wants to go again "later when he grows up"... Not quite the expression I was hoping for but at least it was positive, somewhat.
 

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