Aviator Harness safety

Now that he's flighted, Zulu absolutely delights in flying like a maniac. Every time I see him zoom from one room to the next (dodging walls, furniture and the occasional stationary ceiling fan), I can't help but think how much he'd love flying outside. After doing some research, I came upon aviator harnesses. In theory these seem like an awesome idea. I understand how they work and that they are generally considered safe if you follow their instructions. Before I make the plunge and purchase one, I was hoping those who have aviator harnesses or have used them in the past might be willing to offer advice/insight/anecdotes about their experiences with the harness.

I'm definitely concerned with Zulu's size. My food scale puts him in at around 4g (which is the equivalent of 113 oz, I think?). For a quaker he seems kind of small to me.. at least compared to the quakers I see in the pet stores. Mostly, I think I'm concerned with knowing whether the harness is properly fitted on him (not too tight or loose) and that the lead isn't going to break and allow Zu to fly off.

Do any of you use these harnesses for the "smaller" type birds like quakers? Have you ever had any sort of harness malfunction? Do the harnesses tend to last a while provided you inspect them routinely?

4 grams? I'm not sure that's an accurate conversion going on with your scale. My green cheeked conure weighs 70 grams. Avery is much smaller than a Quaker and she has an aviator harness sized petite, as it's the smallest you can go. According to the website, an X-Small should be an appropriate size (but always base it off weight for an accurate fitting), and in your case if your Quaker weighs less than average then a petite would also be good for you:

http://theparrotuniversity.com/content/aviator-bird-harness

Aviator harnesses have longevity, but they can be chewed through and will need replacing if your bird constantly gnaws on them. The leashes can also be cut, of course, but generally they won't just snap off. That being said, they are elastic, so inspection is indeed important I've never had a harness malfunction fit wise or coming off Avery (we have yet to fully put it on for outside... training is fun but with us it's lengthy!), but one problem with any harness is that the leash part can get tangled in branches. It has also happened where the wrist strap comes off the wrist because it's elasticized for the bird's safety so that if they fly too far away they aren't jerked back harshly. The best way to combat this is to use a safety clip and clip it to a belt loop so it's always attached to your person.

The great thing is that the body part of the harness is always adjustable by you, so it's not a one size fits all kind of thing. I've had my harness for about 7 months now and Avery will gnaw at it, but so far it's in great shape. There's a lot of members who use them often and have great experience, so I'm sure they'll chime in soon with great advice!

I think you mean 113g Yes, that's small for a Quaker, but that's okay. Just like humans or any animal type, there can be a lot of variation in size. Many birds are just smaller or bigger framed than "average".

The Aviator brand is an innovative design and good quality product. It is pretty much considered 'the best' harness on the market. I used one before and was happy. It comes with a cd too.

I do have an aviator harness, but for a slightly larger bird. He doesn't like it when the harness touches his wings so it's actually easier to put a Feather Tether on him instead. Safety wise, the Aviator is the best!

I've only heard of a few incidents involving the Aviator, however it's more so with the larger birds than the smaller ones! tab_xo was using her new aviator harness with her B&G macaw Fargo, and the line actually broke. The manufacturer, after testing some other lines, concluded that the incident was due to how the new lines were being made and replaced the harness for her. Other birds have broken the "welded" parts of the harness.


I bought the small size, but your quaker would probably do best with the x-small size.

The aviator are the safest for all bird sizes!

Like Monica said, i was the unlucky 1 in 10 000 that managed to get the faulty flight line

They had changed manufacturers 2 months prior to my purchase, and the clamp weld bit had a sharp bit left on the inside, so as it was being used, it was tearing into the line! Hence we were out flying, and it just broke, and Fargo got stuck up a tree!


They refunded the money, sent me a heavy duty one they had done more tests on, fixed the problem with the manufacturer and haven't had a problem since!

Thanks all! I went ahead and ordered an x-small for Zulu. Apologies as well... I transposed the figures. Zu is 4oz/113 g, round abouts. I have also been practicing on getting him used to having things on him. He's quite trusting so far, so hopefully this will go well!

Thanks again.

My xs aviator harness in black arrived today -- yay!! The seller even included a few gifts for Zulu, my furry pets and even me. I was quite surprised and impressed. My only concern, and admittedly this is my paranoia over losing Zulu kicking in, is that no where on the harness does it say "aviator harness". I believe I ordered from a reputable store (one mentioned here on the forums rather frequently) and am given to believe the lack of branding is due to the small size of the harness. Does anyone else think differently?

JJ

Avery's harness is petite and looks ridiculously tiny. I actually got it on her today, and while she hated it and fought it tooth (or beak?) and nail, there was no way she could get out of it without my help.

And p.s., that's the exact one I have

Dinosrawr said:

And p.s., that's the exact one I have

Click to expand...

Thanks muchly! Zulu is OK with it so far. I haven't put it on him, but have been practicing for the last week and a half with getting him accustomed to having his wings touched/extended and even with slipping something over his head. I'm hoping he'll take to it and actually enjoy being in it.

Thanks again for the help!

I have three harnesses by 2 different manufacturers. None of them have the name of the manufacturer on the harness or leash!


So yes, that's pretty typical.


Hope you are able to train Zulu to wear it!

It's a slow process for Avery and I. She's fine wearing hair bands over her head, fine extending her wings, fine with me closing her eyes, fine with being handled all over really. But today, when I did manage to get it on fully, she wouldn't stop chewing it and she was so stressed out I had to take it off. Thankfully she didn't hold a grudge! She's been lovely all day and isn't even afraid of the harness, rather just didn't like being constricted by it.

Just make every interaction positive and take it nice and slow. It's been going on for 7 months with Avery and I... but one day I hope she realizes how much fun it can be. If not, she'll just be a backpack kinda bird good luck with your training!

My TAG allowed me to put the Aviator on him loosely from day 1. After 10 months of playing with it, I tightened it around his body. He growled and squawked repeatedly, and chewed and fought with it continuously. We went outside 5 times, about an hour each time, with him chewing on it, chewing my shirts, biting my hands, and generally showing his unhappiness with it. In those 5 hours, he chewed through it almost all the way. He hated it. He allowed me to take it off with no problem each time. And our relationship has not suffered because of it. I have not tried again. My Cockatiel tolerates his, and only chews on it occasionally.