ABSTRACT
The function of a restraint system in flight is to keep the individual within their workspace so that control of the aircraft and equipment is maintained. During an impact, the restraint system must maintain the individual within a known volume, so that the crash dynamics are attenuated and movement of the occupant restricted to avoid impacts with aircraft structures. In a crash, the occupants will stay at rest or move with uniform velocity unless acted upon by an external force. When a moving vehicle decelerates, the occupants tend to continue in a straight line along the path of original motion. The restraint system resists this motion to decelerate the occupant. The system must apply this deceleration in the most appropriate direction and at sites over the human body that are most suitable to take the load.
