Do you "Clunk Click" every trip?

[Chris P Bacon]

I was offered the back seat after I had done some work on a 500E in Kazakhstan. I declined because there were no straps in the back (that was only one of my reasons, but the one I told them) When they went off, I noticed the neither of the two pilots had bothered to strap in.
Is not strapping in a common pratice or am I just being to cautious?

[JTobias]

I clunk click every trip! (Sometimes I don't bother if I'm relocating from one side of my home base airfield to the other side for fuel or parking, but i feel very uncomfortable without it)

Joel

[Ricktye]

Here's even a better question........... Why wouldn't you? Every time the rotor is turning!

R...

[Arfur Feck-Sake]

Every trip, even taxying with no intention of getting airborne (fixed-wing, but the principle is the same). Lap strap, shoulder harness and crotch strap. Even in the sim! It's just second nature and I'd feel that something was wrong if I didn't.

[Bravo73]

Why wouldn't you? Every time the rotor is turning!


Hell yeah! I even strap in for ground runs... :O

[FLY 7]

:eek: If someone is cutting corners on basic precautions, you have to wonder what other risks they are taking.

[RAFEmployee]

Always, with some of the stuff I get up to you would aswell.

Not very professional I must say the least.

[Hippolite]

I have got to say that you would have to be absolutely nuts not to strap in every time,. I personally wouldn't get into the car without strapping in but to fly a helicopter without strapping in.....you have to be nuts!!

[tegwin]

I wouldnt even want the rotors turning with no seatbelt on.....What happens if for some reason the aircraft tips over or suddenly decides it wants to lift....


Get in, strap the machine to your back, then get that check list out!

[206Fan]

I personally wouldn't get into the car without strapping in but to fly a helicopter without strapping in.....you have to be nuts!! Today 23:05Second that hip.. personally i think driving is more dam dangerous these days than piloting a helicopter, i never drive the car without the belt on, ive a near miss nearly every day due to other stupid drivers not watching what their doing..

Not a pilot yet so can't comment on the aircraft side of things :{

[VeeAny]

B73

Same here [Ground Runs]

The only time I don't want to be strapped to a helicopter if I am in it and its running is if it's on fire on the ground.

GS

[Non-PC Plod]

Seat belts/straps can be a real safety hazard if they are not worn. There was an accident I believe a few years ago when someone was hover taxiing just a short distance across the airfield, and the seat belt buckle got in the way of the cyclic, preventing it from moving fully aft. Result - completely unnecessary accident, simply because someone was too lazy to do the strap up. How could anyone even conceive of starting the rotors without being strapped in is beyond me. Ever heard of ground resonance?

[TiPwEiGhT]

Somebody mentioned strapping in even in the sim... I remember a sim instructor getting airborne and joining us in the cockpit section of the sim!

[Bravo73]

My recollection of the Gazelle accident was that he lifted into the hover to do a compass swing. The problem with an unlatched P2 belt falling into the cyclic mechanism is a known problem in the Gazelle. Which is why, IIRC, it's a checklist item to insure that it's done up.

Edited to add: Just found the AAIB report. http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/cms_resources/dft_avsafety_pdf_028729.pdf

I follow the same logic in whichever heli I fly. The P2 belt remains done up, regardless of whether the seat is occupied or not.

[rotorboater]

If you don't strap the spare seat belt you can guarantee that one day it will jam in the door or collective. Just dosn't feel right without the belt on even when ground running, like someone just said, cut that out and what else do you not bother doing?

[Yuri Gagarin]

Yes always, on ground runs as well!

[NLJ]

Operating a helicopter with rotors running whether it be on the ground or airborne and not wearing a harness/seatbelt is about as stupid as riding a motorbike without a crash helmet. There are also the legal implications.

Article 50(4) ANO : Each pilot at the controls shall be secured in his seat by either a safety belt with or without one diagonal shoulder strap or a safety harness....................

The normal pre-start procedures in an aircraft flight manual for a helicopter will include an entry similar to "Seatbelts - Secure/Fastened". The flight manual forms part of the Certificate of Airworthiness. If you operate outside of the procedures and limitations in the flight manual you also are compromising the Certificate of Insurance as well.

It's a no brainer. If you're going to start a helicopter, even if only to carry out a ground run, the belts/harnesses should go on.

[Backward Blade]

A little bit lax in the Automobile department for some reason but when or around a helicopter I strap in and helmet up EVERY TIME those rotors are turning. Kinda feel naked otherwise. I check every Pax belt as well before take-off and if it's a "toe-in" situation it's done with a verbal check as my eyes are kind of busy. If they don't do belt up after departing a/c, you can guarantee I'll remind them the next time they get in. Kinda like a DI...it's non-negotiable. Being a PIC has it's benefits at least in these regards. BELT UP and FLY SAFE all

BWB

[McBad]

Newbie here but my understanding is that, for the R22 at least, seatbelts MUST be fastened when in flight (seat occupied or not).

If the belt wasn't fastened and something went wrong it could then be shown that the pic was flying the aircraft having ignored a basic pre-start-up check, listed in the POH (it's certainly on the check cards at my FTO)... ...therefore aircraft in breach of CofA (of which the POH forms part) and therefore all sorts of ramifications... such as insurers able to duck out and leave you to pay for the consequences of any incident.

I'd rather not pay for anything I don't absolutely have to so I belt up. It's pretty much automatic for most uk drivers anyway now.

M.

[The Nr Fairy]

And this accident in Mangalore, Vic:

http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1998/AAIR/aair199800442.aspx

[DECUFAULT]

Basic pratice, sit in, strap up.....! :ok:

[FerrypilotDK]

EVERY trip!

[Stoey]

Standard breif to my instructor: "sit in, strap in, shut the f*** up, and don't touch nothing" :}
I use the belt all the time, and would never think about starting the engine without the seatbelt on.