Seatbelt HOWTO

This describes installation of shoulder harnesses on Mooneys. It is necessary to avoid inadvertant release while using the Johnson bar.

Shoulder Belts

Since Mooneys and other SEL aircraft stall at about 55Kts, most forced landings and landing accidents are not survivable without shoulder harnesses but are usually "walk away" events with shoulder harnesses. i.e., the shoulder harness should be the major priority for the aircraft owner.

Seatbelt Types

Most Mooney installations are "three point" installations, primarily because the factory provides them. These come with and without inertia reels. The use of an inertia reel for a shoulder belt is a matter of choice in the aftermarket. The lap belt should be fixed for comfort and use in turbulence.

Four point belts are well-suited for Mooney, as the tube structure crosses behind the passengers. There is a civilian kind which has thin plates which fit between the buckles. These are found on some Cessnas.

There is also a temporary harness which attaches to the rear seat lap belt. This can cause spinal injury due to the low mounting point but I suppose that's better than death. Hooker Quickie Harness, 30 E. Jefferson St., Freeport, IL 61032, 815-233-5478. At $25 each you can always sell them once you install proper belts.

Installation

The most difficult part is to get the clamp around the tubing. The harness uses a steel clamp which is a little like an Adel clamp. Since the aircraft's sheetmetal is also attached to the tubing, it's a tight fit. Just work the clamp around the tube.

Johnson Bar Mooneys

When moving of the Johnson bar to the extended position, it is possible to catch seatbelt buckles if they are inboard. There are two ways around this problem:

1. Criss-cross the shoulder belts by leaving the buckles on the outboard side.
2. Velcro.
   Obtain strips of wide velcro. Cut a strip of loops (pile) long enough to nearly encircle the buckle. Then cut a strip of hooks to close the velcro around the buckle. Then glue the loops to the bottom of the buckle. The result is an easily released cover which would not allow release when brushed by the pilot during gear extension.

If you intend to use this on a certified aircraft, you need to test it. Do so by finding a suitable landing strip with trees or a chain link fence at the end. Attempt to land hot and long - 600 ft. on a 1000 ft. runway will do. Turn off your ELT or the sudden stoppage will set it off.