Aircraft pilot's seats: what is the notch for? If you do a Google or Bing search for "Aircraft Pilot Seat" then choose images, you might notice a large number, perhaps majority of them, have a notch cut out of the front of the seat. What is this notch for?

Notches are circled here:


Original Source

(Please, no potty humor or scatological jokers need apply here)
It's either for clearance of the column of the yoke or moving the crotch strap of the harness closer to the body of the pilot.

Alternative yoke designs remove the need for the notch:


(source: airliners.net)  

Alternative control methods like the Airbus sidestick also remove the need. As Henning Makholm noted, the seat strap just goes through the cushion.