I recently sat in a cockpit and was surprised I couldn't keep my head straight without slouching an extreme amount. I had a hard time envisioning how I could fit. Do tall pilots have to hunch over, or is there a modification that can improve the fit? Width was just fine.
It’s been a minute since my seat has been in place, but I am just over 6’ myself and find it tight too…
The R22 I fly I’m quite comfortable in… I did find playin with the seat foam combinations made it a tad more comfortable seating me lower, I am very tempted to do some good fiberglass work to lower the seat beneath the thighs. But the I remember I need to fly this thing first and get a feel for it. After all we’re basically strapping this thing on us so snug isn’t a terrible thing in a way.
There have been a lot of very creative ways people have lowered the seats to get more leg room/headroom… your effort and mileage will vary.
(06-24-2026, 07:46 AM)Lyle Swallows Wrote: [ -> ]It’s been a minute since my seat has been in place, but I am just over 6’ myself and find it tight too…
The R22 I fly I’m quite comfortable in… I did find playin with the seat foam combinations made it a tad more comfortable seating me lower, I am very tempted to do some good fiberglass work to lower the seat beneath the thighs. But the I remember I need to fly this thing first and get a feel for it. After all we’re basically strapping this thing on us so snug isn’t a terrible thing in a way.
There have been a lot of very creative ways people have lowered the seats to get more leg room/headroom… your effort and mileage will vary.
I'm 6'2" and I took half of the foam out so my head would clear. It's very tight but doable.
(06-24-2026, 02:17 PM)Tim Morris Wrote: [ -> ] (06-24-2026, 07:46 AM)Lyle Swallows Wrote: [ -> ]It’s been a minute since my seat has been in place, but I am just over 6’ myself and find it tight too…
The R22 I fly I’m quite comfortable in… I did find playin with the seat foam combinations made it a tad more comfortable seating me lower, I am very tempted to do some good fiberglass work to lower the seat beneath the thighs. But the I remember I need to fly this thing first and get a feel for it. After all we’re basically strapping this thing on us so snug isn’t a terrible thing in a way.
There have been a lot of very creative ways people have lowered the seats to get more leg room/headroom… your effort and mileage will vary.
I'm 6'2" and I took half of the foam out so my head would clear. It's very tight but doable.
Thanks; do you have to hunch forward a bit? Seemed to me like that might work, though I'm not yet sure whether or not I want to do that.
(06-24-2026, 04:18 PM)Hank Rouland Wrote: [ -> ] (06-24-2026, 02:17 PM)Tim Morris Wrote: [ -> ] (06-24-2026, 07:46 AM)Lyle Swallows Wrote: [ -> ]It’s been a minute since my seat has been in place, but I am just over 6’ myself and find it tight too…
The R22 I fly I’m quite comfortable in… I did find playin with the seat foam combinations made it a tad more comfortable seating me lower, I am very tempted to do some good fiberglass work to lower the seat beneath the thighs. But the I remember I need to fly this thing first and get a feel for it. After all we’re basically strapping this thing on us so snug isn’t a terrible thing in a way.
There have been a lot of very creative ways people have lowered the seats to get more leg room/headroom… your effort and mileage will vary.
I'm 6'2" and I took half of the foam out so my head would clear. It's very tight but doable.
Thanks; do you have to hunch forward a bit? Seemed to me like that might work, though I'm not yet sure whether or not I want to do that.
I have to watch where my headset sits because it will hit the top. Can't wear a helmet. I also hunch over when i push up to adjust my b-cheeks. However, when flying I am not hunched over.
(06-24-2026, 04:27 PM)Tim Morris Wrote: [ -> ] (06-24-2026, 04:18 PM)Hank Rouland Wrote: [ -> ] (06-24-2026, 02:17 PM)Tim Morris Wrote: [ -> ] (06-24-2026, 07:46 AM)Lyle Swallows Wrote: [ -> ]It’s been a minute since my seat has been in place, but I am just over 6’ myself and find it tight too…
The R22 I fly I’m quite comfortable in… I did find playin with the seat foam combinations made it a tad more comfortable seating me lower, I am very tempted to do some good fiberglass work to lower the seat beneath the thighs. But the I remember I need to fly this thing first and get a feel for it. After all we’re basically strapping this thing on us so snug isn’t a terrible thing in a way.
There have been a lot of very creative ways people have lowered the seats to get more leg room/headroom… your effort and mileage will vary.
I'm 6'2" and I took half of the foam out so my head would clear. It's very tight but doable.
Thanks; do you have to hunch forward a bit? Seemed to me like that might work, though I'm not yet sure whether or not I want to do that.
I have to watch where my headset sits because it will hit the top. Can't wear a helmet. I also hunch over when i push up to adjust my b-cheeks. However, when flying I am not hunched over.
Thank you; that's helpful!
For those of you that are removing foam panels from under the seat cushion, you should have several sheets of the foam material under the seats down in the belly. Hopefully this will help your back in the event of a hard vertical crash.
Years ago back 1989, there was a young fellow flying over in Virginia at a gathering . He had been giving rides to people all day. His last passenger ask him if he had enough fuel for the flight and he replied I think so. It quit on take off and went in hard almost vertical. They had no foam under the seats. The passenger survived with no serious injuries. The pilot however was paralyzed from the neck down. He lived for several months but eventually died.
This ship had been featured on the cover of homebuilt magazine just months before.
We’ll never know if the foam would have saved his back. But of course running out of fuel is a definite no no.
Responding to Homer's account, it is always good to have a timer on board to know when you need to stop for fuel, many of the fuel gauges on these helicopters are not accurate.