The Safety Equipment And Devices Every Small Plane Needs

Industrial & Manufacturing Blog

Flying around in a puddle jumper is no excuse for a lack of adequate safety gear on your plane. People already feel a little iffy when they board commuter planes and other small aircraft. Having appropriate safety gear front and center can help put them at ease. Here are a few of the essentials.

Cabin Safety

Whether you're flying one person, a handful, or more, you need adequate safety equipment for everybody. For smaller aircraft, there's really only three main pieces of equipment you should start with.

1. Life vests – Life vests are essential for an emergency water landing. You need one for every seat. You must ensure they work, they're easy to get to, and your passengers know how to use them. Consider investing in a few child or infant life vests as well. For yourself, consider a constant-wear life vest.

2. Life rafts – Emergency water landings also require life rafts. You need a raft that can accommodate all possible passengers. You can also keep an emergency kit on or by the life raft so you can have rations, medicines, and other things you and your passengers might need.

3. Oxygen masks – Many aviation emergencies come with a drop in cabin oxygen. Having enough oxygen masks for your passengers is essential.

All of these items can help save lives. You should always choose quality products when deciding on what brands to purchase. Manufacturing regulations exist for these items, but quality can vary.

Flight Safety

You should have everything onboard that aids you in safe navigation. You don't need all the latest tech employed by the airlines, but you do need the "eyes" to help you detect danger. The eyes consist of:

  • A traffic alert and collision avoidance system
  • A wind shear warning system
  • An enhanced ground proximity warning system

These are enough for any small airplane to navigate and maneuver safely. No matter the equipment you use, you'll need to practice diligence and mitigate any potential problems you see. Sometimes the technology can't see what you can.

Safety Off the Plane

Safety isn't only what happens on the plane or while in flight. You'll also have to consider hangar safety in additoin to aviation safety equipment. Even if you're not in charge of the hangar safety, you should make sure it's there for your protection and everyone else's.

For your part, make sure you have protective equipment for your eyes, hands, and ears. The hangar itself should have fall protection gear, warning signs, and other safety measures for pilots and technicians.

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21 March 2018