I don't have anything to add on the legalities but I'd put in another vote for not flying without an upper torso restraint. In the course of 30 years of PPL flying I've known 4 pilots affected by 'sudden deceleration events' which, as a class, must surely rank as one of the more likely types of accident. The one fatal accident was particularly gruesome and involved pilot chest and head contact with the controls and instrument panel.
I'm definitely not averse to manged risks in aviation but I rate a proper restraint as a 'must have'. It's not that difficult: even my VLA bug smasher has a passable 4-point harness.
Last edited by tecman; 13th December 2014 at 08:20.