Which Shoulder Harness?

[AdamZ]

I just purchased a 58' J35 with lap belts. The very first thing I wanted to do is put in inertial reel Shoulder harnesses. We looked at the BAS and the Alpha, The BAS harness goes over both shoulders and the Alpha is of course like a car seat belt goes over one shoulder.

The Alpha runs about $1159 and the BAS about $1,500 . My partner wanted to get the 3 point Alphas because he felt they were a bit snugger and that the BAS had a tad more slack to them which he felt would cause you to go forward more in a crash. He also felt the BAS belts tended to chaffe his neck if he wore a T-shirt. I on the other hand though that gee a harness over both shoulders must be better than a harness over one shoulder. I'm not basing that on anything but a gut feel. After all they haven't done much crash testing on GA planes.

I guess taking the headliner down for the BAS could be a pain and although the Alphas get mounted to the side of the plane I understand you need to drill holes in the fuselage for the Alphas.

We'd like to get the belts in ASAP were just trying to figure out which ones to get. Anyone have any thoughts or experience?

 

[timwinters]

Adam,

I don't know anything about the Alphas but I installed BAS in my 182 and love them. I view the bit of "slack" in the BAS as an asset...not a liability. I don't even know they're there.

But the way they work and feel in a 182 may not be in the same zip code as how they act in a Bo.

 

[Clark1961]

no thoughts or experience but if you're going to mount things on the side of the planet it's going to get downright complicated...

autocorrect, it's your friend!

 

[AdamZ]

ROLMAO Thanks Clark!

 

[JOhnH]

Ask your A&P if he has experience with either. If he charges by the hour you want one he has done before. My mech took 14 hours to install the alpha inerti reel, and as I fond out later, that is entirely reasonable. But we are very happy with them. I'll write another review on them after we see how well they work in a crash. Hopefully I'll die of other causes first though.

The important thing is to get it done.
I

 

[AdamZ]

Ask your A&P if he has experience with either. If he charges by the hour you want one he has done before. My mech took 14 hours to install the alpha inerti reel, and as I fond out later, that is entirely reasonable. But we are very happy with them. I'll write another review on them after we see how well they work in a crash. Hopefully I'll die of other causes first though.

The important thing is to get it done.
I

I'm really more concerned about whether on is safer. If one is not safer I'd think the Alphas would be more comfortable but not many folks have installed them. John did they have to drill a hold in the side of the fuselage to install your alphas?

 

[James331]

No question the BAS.

You want a reel belt, otherwise it'll be too tight to work the cockpit, or too loose to provide any protection if it's needed.

Be sure you get the rotate to release one, being able to loose the shoulder belts in cruise is a VERY nice option, and in a emergency just twisting the buckle and having the spring loaded belts just come undone is very nice and what you'll find in most all the larger working planes.

Ask your A&P if he has experience with either. If he charges by the hour you want one he has done before. My mech took 14 hours to install the alpha inerti reel, and as I fond out later, that is entirely reasonable. But we are very happy with them. I'll write another review on them after we see how well they work in a crash. Hopefully I'll die of other causes first though.

The important thing is to get it done.
I

I could care less what my A&P thinks about belts, I'd talk to PILOTS who wear them, heck of you want to talk to a diffrebt group, I'd ask a insurance guy before a mechanic.

Again I can say in the seaplane world where having a good shoulder harness system is quite important, BAS is king.

 

[bluerooster]

I would think that whatever harness that will keep your face from bashing the instrument panel in the unlikely event that something untoward should take place. would be the one to get.

 

[frfly172]

Used the BAS belts and loved them.