Do You Use Your Seat Belts Correctly?

The featured article in the August issue of DG Flugzeugbau’s eNewsletter is all about seat belts and their proper usage. A somewhat contentious issue is whether a 4- or 5- point harness offers better protection in a crash. While DG offers both 4-point and 5-point harnesses to their customers, Martin Sperber of the Technical Control Commission of Rhineland-Air Transport Section, who has studied this question extensively, concluded that the 5-point harness may be less safe in a crash. Others disagree. To get both sides of the story, visit DG’s website where you can read a summary of Sperber’s talk on this important topic and comments from the DG factory and others who weigh in on this question.

For more discussion on this subject and glider cockpit safety in general, refer to another article on DG’s website, “Safety Aspects for Glider Pilots,” which includes Sperber’s findings on seat cushions, airbags, and ballistic parachutes, as well as seat belts and harnesses.