Seat pallets
 

Hello,
Can somebody enlighten me about the EU OPS Regulations in effect regarding using seat pallets in Cargo Aircraft?

Requirements , specifications etc.... ??

Thanks !

this is not referred in EU OPS directly as such.
basically you have to follow all requirements for pax aircraft.
mod has to be Part 21 approved.

I've seen proposals for this sort of thing in the past (supposedly UPS and/or FEDEX were looking at this to use their freighters during their daytime down hours).


But freighter aircraft are not equipped for passenger evac in an emergency. That's a show stopper for commercial (military may have different requirements). Also having spent dozens of hours on the main deck of a 747 Freighter during flight testing, it is NOT a pleasant place to be http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...lies/sowee.gif. Takeoff and landing, with no windows or outside reference was particularly nasty http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...y_dog_eyes.gifSomething like this would bring 'cattle car' accommodations to a new low.

Jet2 manage it on the B733 Royal Mail 'postal' fleet. They operate pax services during the day using the 'standard' doors and seat pallets and then take out the seats and do the cargo services at night with cargo doors as well. Always seems strange to see all the cans on board through the windows with the overhead lockers, call buttons and reading lights etc still in.

Lufthansa had some B737 converted to QC (Quick Change) Versions with Seats on Paletts.
Maybe you can ask them.

Its little like Combi spec - sounded like good idea at the time. The interior trim takes a beating no matter how carefully the conversion is made.

We operated DC9-33RC for about 20 years. would swap between all pax and all cargo very frequently.

As a pax you would only have known if you were aware of a very slight (less than 3mm) movement of the seat rown relative to the cabin wall.

Later, when the fleet was refurbished, the open overhead hat-rack was a giveaway.

I recall no events where the cabin suffered any aesthetic deterioration as a result of the cargo ops.

Thanks all for the input

What I am looking at is increasing seating capacity for grooms / live animal attendants when transporting live animals by air

we operate an A300B4F with 9 seats (operating crew seats included) and we had a few remarks from SAFA a couple of years ago when we used seat pallets but they never mentioned what their requirements are or what does the regulations dictate

Where did you positioned the seat pallet on A300F? If that was in the front, question comes about cargo barrier position and certification. If in the back, question comes about PA and emergency evacuation (typically rear doors on A300F are de-activated).

As soon as you put a seat pallet at the back, and it must be at the back due to the restraint requirements as CargoOne pointed out, then the main deck goes from a Class E compartment to Class B, the rear doors must be activated and a slide fitted, oxygen available and communications with the flight deck fitted. Miss out on any of those basics & you can expect finding on any SAFA audit.