Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
#1613278
I am planning to take my 2 year old son for his first cross channel trip. My wife and I use the normal inflatable life jackets when flying over water but I cant seem to find anything for my son. The smallest kids life jacket I have found (kru junior) is recommended for 6 years and above. The only life jackets I have found for toddlers are the bulky foam ones used for swimming and water-sport. There is no way he will fit in or be comfortable in a car seat in the back of the aeroplane in one of those.

Does anyone have experience or recommendations in this area ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
#1613306
That looks as if it is permanently buoyant, which isn't recommended for use in a cockpit.


I realise that ... it's also recommended that the life jacket doesn't have an automatic inflation mechanism - as having a buoyant jacket can impede exiting a submerged aeroplane.

I guess it's a balancing act between the child being too young to trigger the inflation vs difficulty extracting the child from a submerged aeroplane.

I'm not sure whether you'll find an inflatable life jacket for a really young child due to them not being able to trigger the CO2.

OC619
#1613312
Crewsaver
- Model: 1060-JUN
- for children Age 2+, 15-40kg
- 23g Cartridge

This is the perfect jacket for small children/toddlers. I use it flying the Thames route in the helicopter and for cross channel.

Now here’s the difficulty. This Model was previously named Crewfit 150N Junior Lifejacket; however, they now use that name for the next larger size (for ages 6-12yrs & 20kg-50kg) – so will make it tricky to find one when searching. You can still find these but Crewsaver have ceased producing them. However, there is a murky relationship where the company makes the same lifevest and sold under different names.

Upon talking to a representative from Crewsaver/Survitec, they noted they believed that the automatic inflation would “startle” a young child and therefore they recommended the rigid foam models (I laughed at the woman and said that’s stupidest reply I could have expected; if activated, the child has just fallen off a boat at sea – they’re already startled!)

As for the automatic inflation, that is simply rendered inactive by unscrewing and removing the activation capsule (you can easily add it back for yachting use).

Be careful when shopping though (see below)

REAL: It has steel rings and closure
https://www.ceneo.pl/30854535

FAKE: It has a plastic buckle
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crewsaver-Crewfit-150-JUNIOR-Standard-Harness/dp/B075BM7V6F
#1613317
Javed Rahman wrote:The smallest kids life jacket I have found (kru junior) is recommended for 6 years and above.


That one is the model they swapped names with the smaller one I noted. The one you found has the follwoing specs, but same name as the smaller one:

Crewfit 150N Junior Lifejacket
- Model 1202 Red w/ Harness
- 66-86cm chest, 20-50kg
- 23g Cartridge
#1613320
RisePilot wrote:REAL: It has steel rings and closure
FAKE: It has a plastic buckle


I don't think this is the case. Many lifejackets are available in "harness" or "non-harness" versions. Indeed, the ones I have, the Baltic Winner is available thus. In fact, I have one of each. One has the metal buckle and D ring, the other has the plastic click together buckle. The idea for the metal one with the D-ring is that you can lash yourself to your boat rail I believe, but I got it as I can clip my PLB and light and radio and things to it. I give the one with the plastic click together buckle to my passengers as it's easier to figure out how to put it on and take it off rather than twisting bits of metal around.

Image
#1613325
Look at the photos you just posted. Yes, one has a harness; one does not (as per the photo labels). The “harness” is the metal D-ring - not the closure. Note the one on the left has two stainless steel rectangles whereas the one on the right has a cheap plastic buckle – which one would want to rely on for life.

One of my other hobbies is offshore yachting. I have over 20,000 miles offshore and I’m a commercially-endorsed Yachtmaster Ocean (I know a little about life vests).
Flyin'Dutch' liked this
#1613360
Yes, the metal D ring and the closure go together, as if you're hanging from the D ring the plastic closure might not be up to holding one's weight and hauling one's self back on board!

But to keep the jacket fastened in the sea, I would think the plastic one would be fine.

Doesn't mean it's fake in any way.
#1613381
Paul_Sengupta wrote:Yes, the metal D ring and the closure go together, as if you're hanging from the D ring the plastic closure might not be up to holding one's weight and hauling one's self back on board!

But to keep the jacket fastened in the sea, I would think the plastic one would be fine.

Doesn't mean it's fake in any way.


The brand you note does not produce a size for a very small child. The point of this post is that someone is asking about life vests for a 2yr old.

I succinctly answered this by giving make/model and buying tips. You just wish to keep typing for no real reason.

Both fake and cheap life vests use the plastic buckles. Your recommended brand is the equivalent quality of a £20 Viking Direct Office Supplies workdesk chair; yes, it can technically get the job done, but is not the best purchase.
By Lefty
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1613509
I can’t seem to find them advertised anywhere now, but when my lad was 12-24 months old, (27 years ago), I bought a kind of floating cot / basinett.

It was like a mini one person (baby) life raft with a sealed see through canopy. If I recall it was similar to those carried by the airlines - and it cost 3-4 times the cost of an adult life jacket.

Are they available now?

I sold it on when my son outgrew it.
#1613527
I was going to offer use of the one (bassinette) we had for the work aircraft but then saw that the OP’s son is 2years old. He’ll be too big.

At a pinch you can use an adult jacket on a child by passing the waist-strap between their legs and either only inflating one chamber or, on a single chamber model, releasing some of the gas after inflation. Not ideal though.
#1613599
I think I'd be thinking about whether I really wanted to do this.

Once you've executed a successful ditching:

- exiting the aircraft yourself is likely to be difficult

- getting out and getting the liferaft out is likely to be very difficult

- getting out and getting the liferaft out and then getting another person out who cannot help themselves, and who may actively hinder you, is likely to be very, very difficult to the point where you're more likely to fail than succeed.

Sorry to be so down on it all, but you've got to imagine how this will pan out in a real situation. Do you want to be leaning into the back seats in a sinking aircraft trying to extract a toddler who is tangled in the seatbelts and thrashing around, eventually having to make a decision about whether to leave your child and save your own life or go down with them?

My own over-water rule in an SEP is no passengers who cannot exit the aircraft quickly and unassisted.
Flying_john, Aeronco liked this