Saint Evil
A couple of points on the regs for carrying children on AT aircraft and lap-belt extenders.
Current AT regs state that Children over 3 should be secured in their seat by the safety belt. Children under 3, but older than 6 months should be properly secured in an Innovint Child Restraint System (CRS) 2500 Seat (provided on the aircraft). Infants under 6 months are to be properly secured in an aft facing Innovint CRS. However, exceptionally, if no suitable safety seat is available (including a car-type safety seat), children under 2 yrs may be held in an adults lap, or placed in their seat and secured by the safety belt. These regs are based on the CAA General Exemption to the ANO on Child Restraint dated 29 Sep 06
http://www.caaerg.org.uk/docs/33/ORS4_598.pdf and the FAA Advisory Circular 120-87A on Child Restraint
http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Gu...%20120-87A.pdf
FAA states that "
During takeoff, landing and movement on the surface, a child under the age of two may be held in an adult’s lap or be placed in a regular passenger seat and use a standard seatbelt."
The lap-belt extender was withdrawn from the RAF a number of years ago after FAA research showed that the belts themselves could cause fatal injuries to children. The FAA has band them from use on aircraft, along with Harness Restraints and Booster Seats. If you read into the FAA paper on the subject, the accepted risk analysis is that a child traveling from A to B is far safer going on an aircraft, even if un-restrained, than making the same journey by other forms of transport ie restrained in a car.
There has not been a lot of change to the civil regs for a number of years, probably down to costs. An airline can put a fare paying passenger in the seat rather than an infant that will travel for free, or a vastly reduced rate. On an RAF AT aircraft this is not an issue as all passengers, whatever the age, are allocated a seat.
A number of airlines offer a britax Child car seat (eg BA). The RAF used to do this but have replaced them with seats designed and tested specifically for aircraft use. This is the Innovint CRS 2500
http://www.innovint.de/pdfs/IAI_CRS-2500.pdf . As far as I am aware this is the best seat on the market, and is certainly not the cheapest. Other users I believe are the Swiss Air Ambulance.
Therefore kids traveling on RAF AT, not only get a seat allocated, but also are put in the best aircraft CRS there is. They are also still allowed up to visit the flightdeck, not somthing a civil airline can offer. In the very rare case when an Innovint seat or suitable child car type safety seat (CAA definition) is not available, a child under 2 can be held by an adult. Not ideal, but complies with industry practise.
On your other points, If you had come to me as captain with that attitude towards my crew, I would have asked you to leave the aircraft. The primary reason the stewards and ALM are their is for the safety of the passengers, through all stages of flight not just in emergencies. Having seen some of the ways that they are treated by passengers (of all ranks), they have my deapest respect for the restraint they show and the service they provide.