lakevue or atlee folding seats?

[pingo]

I recently bought my first 170B and have been going through the forum thinking about the recommended modifications. High on my list is to replace the bench seat. From reading the forum, it seems there are 3 main options -- the bas/lakevue stc, the atlee dodge stc, and a 337 for 206 seats. My preference is for fold up seats. So I'm trying to decide between the two. Both seem to get good recommendations. Here's what I know about them just from their web sites:
LakeVue - $1850, upolstery optional (seems more for cosmetics), 11 pounds, 8-12 hours install
Atlee - $2450, requires upolstery, 14 pounds, unknown install

On paper the Lakevue seem like a better deal, but there are a lot more posts about the high quality of the atlee seats, but I have no idea whether the quality or safety is less for the other. I also dont have any information on the install time or the price of upholstery for the atlee. I'd appreciate any insights into real world installation time for either, as well as any comments on differences or any advantages/disadvantages the Lakevue seats may have (besides saving $500). Please feel free to point me towards any posts that may have discussed this that I may have missed that might cover these questions.

[bigrenna]

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[marathonrunner]

I have the Atlees and they are excellent. Last time I installed a set it was around 8 hours. There is an upholstry shop up here that is quite reasonable and I think it was under 500.00 for some basic seat covers. Make the back one removable with velcro at the bottom so you can remove it and fold the seat flat. MIne slips over and the velcro is hidden. It just sort of "snaps" together. It also just pulls up to remove. I suppose it could be used for a personal floatation device (PFD) in an emergency just like the airlines seat bottoms. That was just a joke everyone. I know nothing of the BAS ones

[pdb]

I took out my old bench seat and installed a single Atlee Dodge seat years ago. I had it put in just before flying with three to OSH from AK so I had the seat and back made up with a bit thicker astronaut foam. It's the most comfortable seat in the plane though it doesn't quite fold up against the side as neatly as those seats with less generous cushioning. It still folds up and out of the way with a bungee cord and I regard it as the most practical mod in the plane because I can use it as a seat, fold it up, or remove it entirely very quickly if I need max space or weight.

[pingo]

Thanks for the info. In the meantime I learned of a 4th option, which is to install original cessna jump seats (that I think come out of a 185). They apparently fit into the bench attachment points and require little if any installation hardware. They dont fold, but remove easily, and are lighter. I'd be curious to learn whether anyone has tried this or knows where such seats might be found? My information is pretty sketchy.

[marathonrunner]

You can find them in a salvage yard. The ones I have had the misfortune to sit in are not that comfortable and I am 5'9" and 150 pounds. I guess if you occupy the left front seat they are great.

[hilltop170]

Cessna made many different versions of the removable middle and rear seats for the 180/185, 206, 207, and 210. Going thru just the 206 parts manual, I found 14 different part numbers for different seat styles, reclining mechanisms, grades of upholstery, etc, so searching by part number is burdensome.

What it all boiled down to was basically two seat styles were the best to use in the back of the 170, the small utility seat from the 207 and the larger, more comfortable, but harder to handle 206 middle seat. The small 180/185 "toadstool" removable back seats are just too small, uncomfortable, and too close to the front seats to be useable for any flight except very short duration. No logbook entry is required for removal/installation as they are all Cessna seats and certified as removable by the pilot.

The 207 ulility seat gets the job done and only weighs 8 pounds with upholstery. However, it is less comfortable and does not recline. It does fold flat onto its bottom and two can be nested together legs-to-legs and easily stowed in the baggage or simply removed from the plane.

The 206 middle seat with the 3-position recliner is THE most comfortable of all of the removable/stowable seat options and has the same size seat cushion and back as the later style Cessna front seats plus a headrest which comes in handy when reclined. It weighs 12 pounds with upholstery and like the others can be removed if not needed. It will fold down for access to the baggage compartment but not completely flat like the utility seats.

206 rear seats in 180.jpg

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[bigrenna]

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[bigrenna]

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[n2582d]

In looking at the FAA's STC listing our association only has two STCs -- neither has to do with seats. In addition to the BAS/LakeVue and F. Atlee Dodge folding seats, there are four other seat STCs I found for the C-170. SA981WE is owned by MAF. I doubt you can buy it because they don't want the liability. SA4603NM is a a “canvas hammock or net sling” seat formerly owned by Cargo-Pass Co. and now held by Alaska Skycraft LLC. The third STC I found listed is SA5-12, also for a canvas hammock, was previously owned by Aircraft Rebuilders and is now held by Stoots Aviation. The final STC is from Airframe Innovations. It has been discussed here.

[bigrenna]

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[170C]

Another possible option would be to cut the factory back seat (170/172) in half and thus have a 3 place aircraft. A former owner of my '56 172 did just that at some previous time. He chose to have the 3rd seat as the one behind the copilot, but it could just as easily be the one behind the pilot. He simply removed the seat & back from the factory seat, retaining that bar across the back. It still attaches to the side attach point, to the rear attach point and to the front/center attach point. It makes loading baggage much easier and removes the need/desire for the baggage door. I don't have my W&B data here at the house, but at one time I weighed the full sized seat & it weighed 35 pounds so I would guess that what remains is about 17-18 pounds. That could be reduced based on how much upholstery one chooses to install. Of course its not as light or as easy to install or remove as the ones in the after market, but it works. It eliminates the possibility of carrying a 4th passenger, but I don't attempt that here in TX anyway. Although I don't yet know how to attach photos on the forum, if you want a photo of mine I can take one and email it to you.

[marathonrunner]

I had a canvas hammock seat and was really glad to literally throw it in the trash years ago. Make that decades ago. I really have never been in any Cessna seats that were comfortable for that application. Sounds like others have.

I would recommend biting the bullet and getting Atlee Dodge seats. They are the most comfortable for passengers I have found. Might other less expensive ones out there but I sure have not found them

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

This was just posted BCP.org... Interesting and worth re-posting:
The International 170 Club (Association?) holds an STC for an effective bush seat for the 170 and think it covers the 180 as well. I know the design will fit all 180s.
Doug Banks from Tofino Air developed it and gave it to the club. I think it's free for members. It's a good seat and fairly comfortable. Easy to make and install. Inexpensive too...

The Association owns two STCs and has blanket permission to use another STC which has rather weak provenance. All the said STCs are for engines.

If someone gave us another STC, we don't know about it. And I'd probably know.

[marathonrunner]

I didnt know people could really be 5' 9" and 150 lbs...?

Run a couple marathons or ultras and you can. I think I have done Boston 7 times and countless others. We have one up here I did twice called the Susitna 100. Look it up, it is bike, ski or run across frozen Alaska on snow machine trails. It is 100 miles and mmost people who do it think running is the most insane of the three disciplines. I was only going to do it once but when we traveled to South Africa, we stayed at a place in the Drakensburg in the town of Underburg called Khotso Horse Trails. The owner Steve Black had a book on extreme running in the arctic. He wanted to do the one from Whitehorse to Dawson. I told him he was crazy and to come up and just do this one. He did and talked me into doing it again. We both came in second out of like 16 runners for the race.

He also had to go into Lesotho which is a small kingdom inside South Africa while we were there to make accomadation for some kids for some organization that likes to help people in developing countries. Not wanting to drive there because of the road conditions, he asked me to run over there with him. It was an experience not to be forgotten including having to umm get past customs both ways without passports. Another story we had them but they were closed going over and open coming back..65K in one day up a mountain and down both ways and the scenery was unbelivable as were the structures of stone that you would never see unless you went on the trails.

I asked him about taking water to drink and he told me "we just dip in streams" I asked about giardia and he told me they train their animals not to ummm poo in the streams like they did in America. In fact he got sick on a kayak race from the Great Lakes to New York harbour one year doing just that.

No pain, no gain