An Equivalent Level of Safety

By: Nick Commande

According to the latest FAA statistics, each day there are around 44,000 flights carrying 2.7 million passengers. Though similar, not all aircraft are the same. Aircraft come in different types, length and width, wingspan, engine size, and passenger capacity. While passengers might perceive that all air travel and safety standards are uniform throughout the various airlines, they are not. One thing that is not constant is an equivalent level of safety for all passengers.

You might think that all passengers are required to wear the simplest of safety devices, most commonly known as seat belts. Like aircraft, not all passengers are the same; with variations in age and size. Airlines do their best to protect and secure their passengers during all stages of a flight, including taxi, takeoff, landing as well as the longest portion of the flight, cruising at 30,000 – 40,000 thousand feet. The most obvious method of safely securing passengers is with seat belts. But not all passengers are seat belted in properly.

While ARFF personnel are aware of the typical seat belt system found on aircraft, we want you to be aware of a newer seatbelt system that focuses on lap kids/young children. There is a company who focuses on flight vests for lap kids (those being the age of 2 years or younger who sit on their parents’ lap during their flight).  They are currently working on bringing a higher level of safety to lap kids. The Baby B’Air Flight Vest is a simple device which is worn by lap kids and is attached to the parent’s seat belt. (It is unlawful by FAA rules for child restraints of any kind to be attached to the parent). The Baby B’Air was invented back in 2000 by Greg Nieberding. Greg came up with the idea of the “Flight Vest” after his niece’s aircraft approved car seat would not fit in the aircraft seat purchased by his sister. His niece, while on her mother’s lap, encountered unexpected turbulence and was ejected (fortunately without harm) from her mother’s lap, into the ceiling and into another row of the aircraft. Unfortunately, his niece was not allowed the same form of safety that the other passengers of the plane had. His niece was fine through this ordeal, but it got Greg to thinking of how to protect precious cargo.

An issue with the Baby B’Air Flight Vest is that the FAA only allows a parent to use it on their child while the plane is in the air. This means, during taxi, takeoff and landing, children must remain unprotected on the parents’ lap.  While parents take every precaution necessary while driving in an automobile utilizing safety devices such as car seats, it is not mandatory for airlines or parents to protect children at speeds over two and three times what their automobile goes. According to PlaneCrashInfo.com, 84% of incidents happen at takeoff and landing.  This is where the greatest chance of incident and injury occur and yet it is the same time allowed for the least amount of protection to its most precious cargo. This is clearly not an equivalent level of safety for ALL passengers on an airplane.

Since 2001, Baby B’Air has been working to provide an equivalent level of safety for lap kids on aircraft. Along with support from the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) and many members of ARFF (Air Rescue Fire Fighters) who believe that the Baby B’Air Flight Vest would help bridge that gap and allow all passengers that fly have an equivalent level of safety.

In 2013 ALPA requested that Baby B’Air attend their Safety Forum and they have attended every year since. Also since 2013, Baby B’Air has attended ARFFWG Conferences to inform Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighters from all over the world about the “flight vest” and its potential in protecting lap kids during taxi, takeoff and landing, Firefighters who have seen this product agree that the Baby B’Air Flight Vest is easy to use and a great safety measure for lap children.  Many are in support and have signed hundreds of petitions asking the FAA to review and change their policies to help Baby B’Air give an equivalent level of safety to lap children passengers.

United States Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin has asked the FAA to review its policies and allow the baby flight vest to be used during all portions of flight. United Airlines sought out Baby B’Air asking what they could do to help give an equivalent level of safety to lap children and donated 8 rows of airplane seats that were used in sled testing to show that the Baby B’Air works. United Airlines is now conducting a low risk study with the company to show the advantages of using it and helping to provide safety to unprotected lap children on aircraft. It is a goal to make the airlines safe for all those who fly.

ARFF personnel should also be aware that these vests are currently available to the public and can be used by private citizens. Should you be in a position to be conducting search and rescue operations on a passenger aircraft, be aware that they are out there. The child could be found in the harness that is strapped to the seatbelt of the adult in the seat. To release the child, you will need to unlatch the adult seatbelt.  

About the Author:  Nick Comande is retired Captain of the City of Racine, WI. He was Firefighter Paramedic with more than 32 years of service. He has been involved with the Baby B’Air Company since 2002 helping to change the FAA ruling to allow the Baby B’Air Flight Vest to be used during taxi, takeoff and landing instead of just during in flight