Aircraft life vests are personal flotation devices (PFDs) designed to keep passengers and crew members afloat in the event of an emergency landing or ditching on water. Life vests are typically stored either under the seat or in an overhead compartment on commercial and general aviation aircraft.
PJi offers a wide range of aircraft life vests for sale, designed for use in commercial aviation, business jets, helicopters, and general aviation aircraft. Our aircraft life vests are available in a variety of sizes, from infant life vests to adult life vests.
Our partnership with Switlik, one of the top aircraft life vest manufacturers, allows us to provide premium-quality passenger life vests and constant-wear life vests at competitive prices. PJi’s friendly and knowledgeable aviation specialists will be happy to assist you in finding the right aviation life vests to meet your needs.
Yes. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that all commercial aircraft operating over water must have an approved life vest for each occupant on board. Life vests must be stowed in a location that’s readily accessible to each occupant and must be equipped with a means of inflation or buoyancy that will keep the wearer’s head and shoulders above water.
There are generally two main types of aircraft life vests: inflatable life vests and non-inflatable life vests. Inflatable vests – the most common type of life vest for aircraft – typically consist of a fabric cover or pouch containing one or more inflatable chambers or bladders that can be manually or automatically inflated when needed. Non-inflatable life vests are made of buoyant foam material and do not require inflation.
A typical aircraft life vest will include a flotation device, an inflation mechanism, reflective tape, and a whistle or other signaling device to attract attention. Additionally, some life vests may include a light to aid in rescue efforts in low-light conditions.
When putting on an aircraft life preserver survival vest, you must ensure that the vest is properly fitted and that it’s snug but not too tight. The life vest should be fastened securely to prevent it from slipping off in the water. Inflatable life vests are either manually inflated by pulling on the inflation cord or automatically inflated when submerged in water.
Newer-model constant wear life vests, such as the X-Back, Evolution, Aviator, and ALL-PAX life vests are sold with a 2-year recommended TBO, which begins at the vest’s Date of Manufacture (DOM).
Switlik offers airline passenger vests with 2-year, 5-year, and 10-year TBOs. The TBO for Switlik life vests can be found on the top-right corner of the label on the outside of most life vest packaging.
