TO/landing with pax in front

[Daveroo]

is there a rule/law/code that stops a passenger from riding in a "nose possition seat" in an aircraft.....i can see the safety reasons with a taildragger type plane..but with a tri gear plane.....or nose dragger as some of my friends call thier planes..i dont see the problem,,,whats the offical call?....

my dream...id like to have a fleet of sight seeing aircraft ..like customised DHC-6 twin otters,,,remove the three rows of seats and put in two rows of seats 5 rows deep with the vitsa-liner window package and out front have a side by side seating set up with a all glass nose...atleast down to the knees for a full un-obstructed view...i imagine a setup like that..you would have to board the nose seats from the nose befor the flight..unless the co-pilots possition can be deleted and a crawl space provided....

[glennc]

Dave,

I don't think there are any rules about it and I know the Collings Foundation B-17 and B-24s do have "guests" in the bombardier seat. I have seen other B-17s that will have a crew member there on landings I expect as spotters. For your other idea: I doubt if it would work. You would have to completely redesign the aircraft, move the flight deck and control systems. It would at the least thoroughly mess up weight and balance.

Glenn

[fliger747]

In a small passenger aircraft, not requiring more than one pilot, a passenger may occupy a "front" seat, but may not manipulate the controls. The exception would be a student pilot recieving instruction, other student pilots could usually be on board.

T

[TARPSBird]

When I was in the Reserves in 1966/67 we did not man the bow observer (nose) position in P2V's during take-offs and landings. The position was not equipped with an escape hatch, in a crash it would be tough to get out quickly if at all. And I wouldn't want to be up there if the nose gear collapsed. I suspect your custom Twin Otters would have the same potential problems with the nose seating.

[Lateral-G]

as long as the pilot in command can operate the controls and safely operate the aircraft there's no restrictions as to where a passenger can sit.

Military and Part 135 operators are going to have hard and fast requirements on who can sit where, however.

From the FAR


Sec. 135.113 — Passenger occupancy of pilot seat.

No certificate holder may operate an aircraft type certificated after October 15, 1971, that has a passenger seating configuration, excluding any pilot seat, of more than eight seats if any person other than the pilot in command, a second in command, a company check airman, or an authorized representative of the Administrator, the National Transportation Safety Board, or the United States Postal Service occupies a pilot seat.

[Daveroo]

the otter was just a thought for exsisting ac.......but im still confused...is it ok to take off and land with someone there or not?

[fliger747]

Not a twin otter driver, but friends who operate single (turbine) Otters for flight seeing around Denali do park a passenger in the right seat. BTW there is not "nose seat" in a twin otter or about any civil aircraft that one might encounter. Note the type certificate before 1971, certainly that takes in a lot of territory. Then there are sometimes local dispensations from the FSDO.

T