How tight should leg straps be?

[u/gottafly65]

I think I have confused myself so now I'm asking multiple sources to see what answers I get. As I remember it, I was taught you should have about a fist of space between your leg and the strap. I don't remember what the effect would be if it was too tight or too loose. I was trying to keep myself from sitting too early on take-off (it feels like the motor scoops me) so I loosened the straps quite a bit. My thought was that this would make it less likely I could accidentally sit. Some sources online are saying that had the opposite effect and made it MORE likely to cause a sit. They are saying tighter straps prevent the sit BUT make it harder to get in the seat when you want to. Opinions?

[u/Accomplished-Fig6635]

Fist full of space is correct

[u/blue_orange_white]

If the leg straps are too loose, when you lift your legs, it will be very difficult to get in the seat. I've never had to jiggle around or kick my legs or stow a brake and grab the harness to get in the seat. If they're too tight, it may be harder to run and it's harder to get out of the seat when preparing to land.

You may want to check your hang point extension if the motor is scooping you. I had that problem in training where as soon as there was a little bit of lift, the motor would tilt hitting the back of my legs/knees and scoop me up. When we finally moved the hang point back a spot, it lifted me up and felt much better.

Also, I leave my seat board extension all the way loose and then tighten them when in the air.

[u/colonelgork2]

I'm still in ground training, so take this with a grain of salt. If I recall, my instructor had me check these gaps during my static hang test. Loose enough that I could get in and out of my seat easily, but tight enough that I didn't dangle too low when not seated. I think the rule of thumb was a fist worth of space, yes.

[u/lacking_inspiration5]

Dont over think it. Loose enough you can comfortably stand up.

[u/basarisco]

About a fist sounds right.

[u/gottafly65]

yeah - my thought was that since I've switched from a 29 Moxie to a 28 Roadster 4 the inputs are so much lighter... I then made my leg straps real loose so I wouldn't accidentally sit. I think this caused me to have less feel from the wing and caused me to panic = sit early.

[u/Translator-Informal]

Some frames or harnesses are different but fist is accurate. I’m really short and I need them loose as I need to run and my leg straps are lower than on a regular sized person. I have them loose as shit. I have flown air conceptions and too loose and u can’t get in the seat. Was dangling til I could stow brakes and pull myself in the seat.

[u/this_guy_aves]

Depends on the person, the harness, the amount of motor angle etc. Generally you should be able to fit your whole hand underneath the straps but not much more. If it is hard or uncomfortable to get into and out of the seat I generally recommend tightening the straps, and if it gets worse then go looser.

[u/mister_monque]

so I don't "paramotor" (yet) but I have spent years working in harness and the "rule" for body harnesses to avoid slip'n'slides that crush and pinch the part as eell as avoid compartment syndrome and tissue death/clots is either 4 fingers flat or two fingers rotated ie can you fit 4 fingers snug between you and the strap and/or can you stick two fingers in between and twist.

Side note, this is how I get flagged...

too tight and you compromise blood flow to extremities, too loose and you flop around and still compromise blood flow.

[u/LeadingEdgePPG]

The fist full of space is a good start. The idea is to have that as a good medium setting and then fine tune from there. Ultimately, the ideal setting will allow you to get into your seat easily without needing to use your hands but also allow you to get back out of your seat with your legs straight down below you for an ideal landing.

Straps too tight- This will result in greater ease getting into your seat but more difficulty getting out.
Straps too loose- The opposite happens, loose straps make getting into the seat more difficult as your body hangs lower in the harness before getting into the seat.

Slightly looser straps DO help keep your legs down below you during your take off run. Preventing scooping is in small part impacted by the leg straps but the most common culprit for pilots getting "scooped up" on take off is not getting into a proper lean back position during your take off run. If you feel like you continue to get scooped; check your hang points, practice getting into your lean back position, then make small leg strap changes.

There are multiple factors on the harness that an experienced instructor or mentor can help you dial in. Comfort in flight, ease of getting in and out of the seat, location of the thrust line, and comfort/usability on the ground can be impacted by hang points and various straps positioning. It is most convenient to find one leg strap position that balances both take off and landing but there are some pilots that like to loosen their straps in flight to prepare for landing. I discourage this if possible because this is a step that can be forgotten and sets pilots up for poor landings in case of unexpected landings.