Carseat for Seaplane 10 minute flight? Infant and Toddler

d0ubtfire

New member
Hey, would you bother using a carseat for an 8 passenger seaplane for a short flight? I have a 1 year old and 3 year old and I'm not sure if these little airplanes even allow carseats, was wondering if you'd all bother.
 
ADS

bubbaray

New member
No but given the horrible safety record of such planes here I would make sure everyone wore a life vest during the flight. This is what Transport Canada is recommending.

Personally I will not fly in those planes. JMHO
 

cantabdad

New member
Yes, I'd use a carseat, especially for the younger one. The seating onboard will probably be pretty tight, but you could install it FF if that's what it takes.

Another thing to keep in mind is that these planes (e.g. DeHavilland Beaver, Otter, or similar) are very loud and everyone needs hearing protection. On the few seaplane flights that I have been on, we were provided either with earplugs or with communication headsets that doubled as ear protection. I am not sure how you would do this with a 1-year-old, though.

As noted above it is also a good idea to wear a lifejacket or PFD, and responsible operators should provide these to you. They may also have other survival gear.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
How does one wear a life jacket and use a car seat, though? (Not being snarky--wondering aloud.)

Given the choice of one or the other, is one a more practical solution? In other words, if the plane has an incident, will a baby be better served by a car seat or life jacket? (In this particular instance, not aircraft in general.)
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
The main risk in aircraft for child passengers is turbulence in flight and issues on the runway, especially takeoff and landing. I'd guess smaller planes may be more susceptible to this and if so, a carseat would definitely be a good idea for your 1 year old. Especially if you are bringing one for use on the other end of the flight. Depending on the seatbelts, it's possible your 3-year old would get enough protection from being ejected from the airplane seat without a carseat or harness? I have never been on such a plane so maybe someone else can comment.

Since the main benefit of a carseat is to prevent ejection and the risk of being thrown around the aircraft, it might be acceptable to loosen the harness to accommodate a life jacket as well.
 

bubbaray

New member
I've flown in float planes for work and refuse to do so anymore. Their safety record is abysmal in Canada, in particular re water egress. People who die in float plane crashes usually do so from drowning. Something like 70%.
 

cantabdad

New member
How does one wear a life jacket and use a car seat, though? (Not being snarky--wondering aloud.)

Given the choice of one or the other, is one a more practical solution? In other words, if the plane has an incident, will a baby be better served by a car seat or life jacket? (In this particular instance, not aircraft in general.)

My wife and I have been discussing this for some time without any firm conclusions. Seaplanes are such a small niche within the overall Child Passenger Safety field that I imagine that there is not much official guidance.

But I think it is fair to say that compared to regular airplanes, seaplanes are more likely to have hard landings or invert, because they are susceptible to wind and wave conditions. I would not want anyone to be unrestrained in a hard landing or inversion, so with that in mind, I think my first priority would be the carseat, if I had to choose.

But a lot of infant/toddler lifejackets aren't really all that thick, so it should be possible to fasten the carseat harness with one on. It would be equivalent to wearing a thick winter coat -- which we of course ordinarily tell people *not* to do -- but in this case would seem to be the lesser of two evils.

For the original poster-- Is there perhaps a boat option instead? Do you think your 1-year-old would keep a headset on for hearing protection?
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
I agree. Since the main risk isn't a 30mph head-on crash, a harness adjusted over a life jacket might be fine for both turbulence or hard landings and also for an unexpected water landing. I'd have no problems doing that for as short flight.
 

finn

New member
Maybe an inflatable life jacket worn under a harness?

This would be ok but most kids inflatable life jackets are for 30-40lbs and over, no way they would fit on a 1 year old & you'd have to be able to get the harness off before the life jacket inflated or you'd be in trouble :(

Kids life jackets (good ones anyway) have a lot of bulk (flotation) in the front & a big collar, I'm not sure you could make them fit in a car seat.
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
This would be ok but most kids inflatable life jackets are for 30-40lbs and over, no way they would fit on a 1 year old & you'd have to be able to get the harness off before the life jacket inflated or you'd be in trouble :(

Kids life jackets (good ones anyway) have a lot of bulk (flotation) in the front & a big collar, I'm not sure you could make them fit in a car seat.

Maybe a seat with more EPS than shell would float? Anybody want to sacrifice a CCO to find out?
 

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