What age can you take a child onboard?

[lauchiemb]

I was just wondering whether anyone has any experience of taking small children/babies in small aircraft? Aircraft in mind would be 152, 172 or Warrior.

Ideally we would take our new born from day one for weekends away. Do they scream like mad from the moment the engine is turned on, or do they love the engine sound?

Any advice or tips very welcome.

[Fuji Abound]

In theory at any age you wish.

However, exposure to the constant noise is not a good idea, so they do need to be able to wear some form of ear defenders. As with all children some will suffer from travel sickness and some may not.

Theory aside, I would also want to consider the outcome of an engine failure and forced landing as unlikely as this may be or any other reason that might arise to make an emergency evak. Getting a child that is strapped into the aircraft out of the back seat may not be the most straight forward of operations.

[The Hat]

My little boy first went up at the age of 3. I just took the car seat out of the car and strapped it into the back of the plane. Put a pair of headsets on him and I never heard a peap from the back. In actual fact my flying cant be that bad as he always falls asleep.

[wsmempson]

My son went in my PA28 at 6 months, strapped into his cat seat. He wouldn't keep the ear defenders on, but quickly went to sleep in any case. Now 2 1/2 years old, he adores going in the aircraft, even when the weather is turbulant; "daddy's aeroplane is a bit uppity-downdy" is what he earnestly says.

[lauchiemb]

Good advice - thanks.

Just out of interest, what type of ear defenders can you get for a six month old baby?

[BRL]

Hi, have a look at these

Thread 1 (http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/301447-kids-back-pa28.html?highlight=kids)

Thread 2 (http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/250893-kids-plane.html?highlight=kids)

[India Four Two]

I put my two-month old daughter in her car seat in the back of a 172 and flew for one hour to visit a gliding camp. She slept most of the way and then continued to do so during the day, with the tied-down aircraft gently rocking in the wind!

Her next flight was at four years old in the right seat of a Motor Falke (with lots of cushions in order to see out). Her main interest was looking at the "small cows".

I wouldn't take a small child flying if there is any hint of a cold.

[dom175b]

Think the only thing my wife tells me ( shes a childrens doctor ) Watch your altitude as the pressure can affect a childs ears much more than an adult. So not to high! I am sure they will love it, wish my Dad had taken me up that young!
Could turn out to be an expensive hobby your children are about to be born into!
Have a great time

[India Four Two]

I think concern about children's ears is possibly overdone. Don't forget that thousands of babies and children go up to 8000' and down again at about 500 fpm all over the world everyday in commercial aircraft.

[Zulu Alpha]

Our children went flying from a few weeks old. Strapped into a car seat fastened onto the back seat of a Piper Arrow. We either used ear defenders or cotton wool pads under a woolly hat thing that tied under their chin.

Best tactics were to feed then and then go flying. Normally they slept for 1-2 hrs after a feed and woke up just as we arrived.

The only time this didn't work was at Southampton en-route to Alderney. The passport control people insisted we bring the baby into their building so instead of staying asleep he woke up when we got him out of his car seat. He screamed the place down. Served them right. Never went there again. Southend and other places would come and take a peek through the window.

ZA

[VictorGolf]

Took my 3 year old son up in a Warrior for my last flight prior to leaving Kenya. It was the usual toddle over the Rift Valley and round the Ngong Hills when a voice from the backseat announced the desire to empty his bladder. Fortunately we had a plastic bag on board which he very accurately (and completely) filled. The landing was about as smooth as I've ever done which was a relief (excuse the pun) but it is something to think about when flying youngsters for any distance.

[Katamarino]

I took a colleagues 4 and 6 year old sons up in a 172. No problems at all!

[Will Hung]

It's the best way I've discovered yet to get my kidz to sleep !!!!

[Gertrude the Wombat]

My experience is the same - they go to sleep.

Even the 14yo went to sleep last year - he only came in the aeroplane because it was faster than if he went on the train with his mother, so he'd get home faster to go out boozing with his mates.

[IO540]

The problems I found was clearing their ears.

It's OK if you descend slowly, say -300fpm, but if you are airways and ATC give you a last-minute descent which needs -1000fpm or more then the kid may need to consciously clear his/her ears and the very small ones are not capable of understanding how one should do that (hold the nose while swallowing, etc) and it can get very painful. I once had to level off on a STAR and was about to tell ATC I could not continue the descent when the problem got sorted. That one was a bit "urgent", one might say... today I would not carry children on an airways flight unless they have that level of understanding.

[Roundouthigh1]

I took my two flying from the age of 3months. They are now 6 and 4. The eldest is fascinated by the experience the 4 year old tends to go to sleep as soon as the engines start. As they get older my advice would be take some toys for them tp play with and also those pee bags because kids are not great at holding on!

[Dr Jekyll]

I was at Elstree once when someone took a five year old up in a Cougar. He was just about to flare for the landing when the grandson was sick all over the rear seats, by the time, they had taxied in and shut down the kid was demanding to know when he could go up again!