Booster Seat Blues

[mooneygirl]

I need some help here.  Our 12 year old FMP needs some sort of boost up to see over the glare shield. [Although he is learning instrument flying this way!].  I have used folded towels, and pillows [sometimes a challenge with the J-bar]  Anybody else using a booster-type device. I thought of perhaps a boating chair that was small enough to fit in the seat. Ideas appreciated.

I am thrilled he is learning to fly.  He flew one of the one and a half hour flight yesterday.  My Dad used to call me the old chinese pilot "One Winglow".  For Gabriel I would call him "One NoseHigh."  Good times for sure.

[Ron McBride]

Jolie

Come see me on the 12th. We will try Gail's out. Remember she is only 5'0" tall.

Also, Come join all of us at the Oceano (L52) Open house on May 12.

Ron

[Hank]

Try cushions. Go to your favorite home furnishing store and buy cushions used to make wooden chairs comfortable. My wife [5'-3½"] stacks three of them in the right seat. Sometimes it's a challenge for me to climb over getting in & out.

I even use a 2" wedge cushion for improved visibility over the cowl, especially when landing.

Isn't it great, not having the badly-overpriced adjustable seats???

[flyboy0681]

This is a long lasting theme here at Mooneyspace. It behooves me (and others) that prior to the MSE, Mooney didn't outfit an adjustable right hand seat as standard equipment. And at $3,400 for the frame only, not many people are buying it new directly from the manufacturer either.

The first thing I purchased after buying into my plane was a high quality, thick cushion for my misses. The one I decided on can be found at Aircraft Spruce and it comes in three different thicknesses. The 3 inch that I bought allows my wife (at 5' 3") to sit up way above the panel, and it's very comfortable.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/noral_seats1.php

 

[mooneygirl]

Thanks for the ideas.  Ron, I will take a look at your solution at Oceano Celebration on May 11-12th.  In the Ovation, no problem, adjustable seat. In the E model, we are a little more sparse!

[John Pleisse]

I did the Spruce cushion...very high quality. I have purchased 2 or 3 different ones over the years. Another trick would be to scrounge up an armrest-free base (just remove the back) to a child booster seat. I did this for my 11 year old and it worked great. Also, for people who have little ones, Clark and ASA headsets for kids are the worst...avoid them...they are a waste of money. They are very heavy...kids can't wear them for even an hour and they have awful passive properties. I have put Bose sets around my kids heads since they were babys.

[KSMooniac]

I just got the Noral cushion from Spruce for my 5'4" girlfriend, but haven't tried it yet.  Looks to be high quality and should do the job nicely at a nice price.

[Ricky_231]

Question to folks who bought Noral cushions for your mooneys - did you get the larger type A cushions, or the smaller type B?