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This is the item explicitly required in the regulations, so it is a good place to start
your passenger briefing. The regulations give the pilot in command (PIC) two specific tasks
with regard to seat belts and shoulder harnesses. The first is a duty to brief passengers on
how the seat belts work. You cannot legally take off unless:
...the pilot in command of that aircraft ensures that each person on board is
briefed on how to fasten and unfasten that person's seat belt and, if installed, shoulder
harness. (14 CFR 91.107(a)(1)).
The second statutory requirement is a duty to notify passengers that seat belts must be
fastened. Specifically, the rule states that no pilot may take off, land, or "cause
(an aircraft) to be moved on the surface" unless:
...the pilot in command of that aircraft ensures that each person on board has
been notified to fasten his or her safety belt and, if installed, his or her shoulder harness.
(14 CFR 91.107(a)(2).)
In addition to these required topics, it is a good idea to brief your passengers on how to
adjust and lock the seat position. This discussion is especially important for the passenger
in the right front seat. Just imagine how startling (not to mention dangerous) it would be
for everyone aboard if an unbriefed and unsecured passenger reacted to sudden rearward seat
travel by instinctively grabbing the yoke.
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