The International Cessna 170 Association

I'm having trouble with my lap belt getting caught between the seat skirt and the flap tunnel.

Just installed new carpet and because of the thick pile, the seat belt and lower buckle get jammed between the tunnel and the seat skirt.

When I hold the seat belt tight, the belt remains parallel to the side of the seat and it rolls past just fine. But when a passenger allows the seatbelt to fall to the floor, the belt twists and gets bound between the skirting and the tunnel.

I've tried the lambskin sheath (OK, I can hear you guys chuckling on that already! ) as well as a vinyl style for belt protectors used in cars. But they are just too thick. (Oh boy, can't wait to see just where you guys take this one....)

Anyway, am looking for thoughts or advice.

I've thought of sowing a leather sheath but not sure if it would remain upright. Also thought about those older 1980 style cars that had a plastic holder for the seat belts.

Any ideas (of the useful kind) out there?

Hi Kyle,

My 170 has a custom interior wth a small strip sewn to each side of each front seat. The strips are about four inches long and 3/4" wide, and each end of the strip is tacked to the side of the seat to form something like a big horizontal belt loop. The seat belts are threaded under the strips, and this keeps the belts from falling on the floor when they're not in use.

Would something like that help you? You can have a look next week when we meet up to go down to Petit Jean....

Best Regards,

John

Kyle, your "lambskin sheaths" are definitely old-fashioned, everybody's using latex nowadays.......
OK, that weak joke's outa the way-- I had the same trouble with the belts binding up on the skirts. First off, make sure your skirts are mounted properly. Other than that, I have no advice. I don't have that trouble any longer cuz I removed the seat-skirts when I installed slip-on seat-covers. I kindas like the look of the seats without the skirts, plus I now have an inflatable life-vest & a fire extinguisher secured to the seat frame which would not work with the skirts still in place.

Eric

First make sure the belt fiting is on the inboard side of the attach bracket and just the head of the bolt is on the outboard side. Also that the belt metal ID/Certification strip is removed and kept in a safe place. Then I just train myself and passengers to lay the belt forward and over the flap handle.

Kyle, maybe you'd better have Becky bring that plane down.
I'll pick you up at Minnieopolis Airport 06:00 wednesday.

Kyle, there's lots of baling wire and duct tape there in Arkansas. We can rig you up something.

Those belt loops on the seat sound like a really nice solution. Some passengers really let the heavy seatbelt buckle fall and hit things like the fuel tank selector pretty hard, or on the other side, close the door with the seat belt hanging out of the airplane. It would be nice to be able to contain the belts to the seat area.

You can kinda see those seat belt strips holding my seat belt in this picture. I think this is what John mentioned in his post.



They work at keeping the belt buckle from being bound up in the flap well while moving the seat fore and aft. Also they dont flop all the way out the door.

OK... no comments on my skinny legs!!

Hey Joe, we got duct tape in MN too! In fact, I've got the camo style stuff. Use it all the time.

And Eric, I knew I was setting myself up for a response like yours!

I too have the strips along side the seat that hold the belts. What happens is that the belt twists more than falls down.

The bolts are installed correctly and the metal is on the outside - away from the seat.

Guess it's just one more thing I'll need to add to my passenger briefing. Or remove the skirts. But I kinda like the looks.

Thanks guys.

And Dave, aint no way I'd let Becky bring the 170 down by herself. She'd be stopping to shop or pick up stray single pilots along the way and never get there.

Dave Clark wrote: Also that the belt metal ID/Certification strip is removed and kept in a safe place.

That's a good point, Dave. For those who've never run into the FAA inspector with an attitude... the seat belts must be identified with mfr. data and TSO cert. basis. This is many times simply a cloth lable sewed onto the strap, and it wears/tears/disappears. Result: Seat Belt no longer airworthy.
But actually removing the tag is not the solution because that technically condemns the belt. (I understand the intent tho', Dave.) If your tag is accidentally removed, a seat belt re-manufacturer can re-man your seat belt and re-attach certification data-tags. Without the tag, most mfr's will refuse the job and require you to purchase new belts. ($$$)
The metal tags were intended as a more durable solution, but they are subject to damage, cutting, tearing, because they are made of soft aluminum and become unuseable when jammed by the seat/track.
I solved the problem on my Baron when I had the belts re-mfr'd by having the tags made of durable vinyl instead of metal. The data was "burned" into the vinyl tag like a branding-iron. The mfr. was Aircraft Belts of Kemah, TX. They will re-mfr your belts....or make a new set of any color you wish...using yours as a model and certification basis. Or they'll simply make you up a new set if you prefer.
Aircraft Belts, Inc. 2000 Anders Lane Kemah, TX 77565 US 800-847-5651, (281) 334-3004

Meanwhile, back to the 170: I simply educate my pax to do like I do. Don't slam the doors. Let the pilot operate the doors. .... And when I unbuckle my belts...I immediately simply bring the buckles beneath my thighs and re-buckle them together ... and leave them on the seat. That way when I re-board... I'm sitting on them...and all I have to do is reach beneath my thighs ..unsnap them..and re-snap them in my lap.