Seat Belt Choices

[Utah-Jay]

I came across a YouTube video on Crow Safety Gear seatbelts this morning and it got my attention as I the Hooker Harness is crazy expensive. The problem is, Crow does not make one with an inertial reel. I can’t imagine not having an inertial reel with the location of the flap handle. Can an inertial reel be added? Anyone been down this road?

https://youtu.be/lZK2jU5jSXQ

[Bcone1381]

Consider purchasing a harness of your choice designed for a race car with 2" webbing. It wont fit of course. 2" webbing is widely available. Hardware (attachment hold downs, slides, buckles, etc.) is widely available. Redesign the harness installation using the parts and hardware to fit your Companion. I liked the Scroth two bar slide for wrapping around tubing. Scroth also has a plethora of other hardware items. (I used Summit Racing and place I for Amsafe products...forget the name.) I see eBay has some inertial reels. Amsafe is one I just saw. Its what Boeing uses.

Then assemble your custom harness using fresh 2" webbing. Cut the new webbing with a red hot knife, and use a household stapler to temporarily fix the webbing in place to your hardware. Then take it to a canvas shop or upholster or send it out to I think Wicks for final sewing.

I'm not sure you'll save money, but you will end up with a harness that is custom made for your aircraft.

Also listen to those on this sight who know Racing Harnesses for proper placement of the belts onto the airframe. The goal is to secure the harness to avoid bodily injury from the harness forces on the body in a crash. One of those body parts is the back. I bet they chime in.

I decided to forgo the inertial reel, but have one I might install if I cant stand the standard shoulder harness. Lots of Bearhawkes flying without one. I'll get use to it I think .

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185098378244?hash=item2b18b91c04:g:UN8AAOSwNyFhYnBr

[gregc]

Hooker stuff is nice but I couldn't bring myself to spend $1000 on two seat belts so I took this approach. I found a couple of NOS inertia reels and two Schroth racing harnesses on eBay, added some hardware bits I had in the shop and and sent it all off to a seat belt repair operation for modification. Total cost was less than half.

[Utah-Jay]

Bcone1381 My issue is I fly in very inhospitable terrain a lot and loosening the shoulder strap to reach down to grab the flap handle is just not a good idea. Too much going on in tight canyons.

I am sold on the Crow Safety Gear system, I just need to figure out how to add an inertia reel

[jaredyates]

I needed to add an inertia reel to some Amsafe harnesses that I found. There is a fellow named Steve at Seatbelt Planet, and he was able to fix me up. I provided the tongues (the parts that fit into the buckle) and he provided the reels, webbing, and sewing.

[AZBearhawk272]

I have found that the inertial reel assembly from the seat mounted GM pickup trucks is very good, packages well and has a really long strap. Just find one that has not been field tested. : )

Kevin D

KCHD

[500AGL]

The first two clicks of the flap handle do not require your hand on the button. Many SuperCub guys add a grab handle to pull it off the floor, then grab the handle directly and pull the rest of the notches.

There are work-arounds.

Simpson makes aircraft harnesses and offers inertia reels as well. Saw them as sun/fun, talked with the rep at length. If I was had to use inertia reels I’d talk to them.

[Utah-Jay]

Pete, I will check out Simpson. I am really just looking for someone to provide and/or attach an inertia reel to the Crow Safety gear belt. Mark Dickens a fellow Companion builder has/had them in his RV and he loved them. They look super well made, and except for the inertia reel, they are less than 1/3 the cost of the Hooker Harness

[whee]

Idk if you’ll be able to find them anymore but these are the belts I installed and they are awesome. At first I only ordered 2 and planned to put fixed harnesses in the rear seats but I liked them so much I ordered sets for all the seats.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Schroth-Military-Vehicle-4-point-Restraint-System-Seat-Belt-with-Retractor-NEW/272162965992

[Utah-Jay]

Idk if you’ll be able to find them anymore but these are the belts I installed and they are awesome. At first I only ordered 2 and planned to put fixed harnesses in the rear seats but I liked them so much I ordered sets for all the seats.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Schroth-Mil...W/272162965992

Thanks whee, but as you thought they are not on eBay anymore

[500AGL]

Whee, if those are the Schroth Military helicopter harness's they are very nice.
https://www.schroth.com/en/defense/m.../model-1-09-2/

https://www.schroth.com/en/aerospace/rotorcraft/t/restraint-systems-4/g/pilot-crew-restraints-6/

[Bcone1381]

I've used Amsafe for 30 years in transport aircraft. I put a Schroth in my Patrol's rear seat and feel its AT LEAST on par with Amsafe. Very happy with it.

Utah-Jay...I know you are sold on Crow. What makes Crow so nice? What I see from the Crow website is 2 inch webbing and hardware sewn up into a harness.

I'm not trying to persuade you away fro them. With that being said, If I were buying a Crow harness I would demand their Kam Lock latch. I've used a belt with what Crow calls there "Standard Latch and Link" leer style latch. It sure is strong, but I did not like it at all due to it being heavy, bulky. To me It may be the worse latch I've ever used in anything.

[Utah-Jay]

Brooks, the Kam Lock is a big reason I like the Crow, it is a $330 option from Hooker. I have seen a buddies Hooker with their cam style, and I have used the Hooker buckle system. I really like the easy of use of the cam system, and super simple for passengers who don’t know the order of attachment for the buckle type belts. The Am Safe website leaves a lot to be desired for images, information and pricing

[Utah-Jay]

Bcone1381 Crow is not a certainty, but the best I’ve found at a reasonable price

[Bcone1381]

I agree with you regarding Amsafe's ability to market and supply us in the EAB industry. I found an Amsafe setup on eBay at a very good price, and remade everything to make it fit the Patrol from seat. I used aircraftseatbeles.com to get a few items I did not have. I did not use the inertia reel due to its size and my in-ability to both design a mount and installation the mount. The rear seat has the Schroth harness. Its also a redone ebay harness out of a race car. Redoing these was a fun project and they turned out real nice.