Doing the Safety Dance

While cool accessories are fun, don’t forget the gear that can make your aircraft safer.

Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at 09:11 AM ET

Verified

Whether venturing over mountains or just to a nearby grass strip, investing in parts and accessories that improve safety is a wise move. [Credit: Jason McDowell]

Key Takeaways:

Prioritize conducting a safety audit for older aircraft modifications, as it's easy to overlook essential upgrades in favor of "cool" accessories, leading to preventable injuries.
Key safety enhancements include installing modern shoulder harnesses to prevent serious injury, secondary seat stops for older Cessna models to prevent seat failure, and high-quality, non-obstructive sun visors to improve visibility and reduce pilot distraction.
Actively research type-specific safety modifications and engage with aircraft owner groups to identify model-specific vulnerabilities and discover effective, often inexpensive, solutions.

See a mistake? Contact us.

If nothing else, an airplane is an excuse to buy cool parts and modifications. From the latest avionics to mission-specific mods like tundra tires and STOL kits, every airplane is a blank canvas, ready to be crafted into a unique, one-of-a-kind creation that’s perfectly set up for one’s specific vision.

I’ve certainly been infected with the accessorizing bug. Before I even found an airplane to purchase, I had compiled an entire spreadsheet dedicated to future potential mods, complete with columns for parts costs, labor costs, and their order of priority. Like Ralphie lusting over his official Red Ryder, carbine-action, 200-shot, range model air rifle, I set my sights on the coolest parts and constantly envisioned myself enjoying them on various adventures.