Gliders on display

[Matt Herron]

I am thinking about putting my ASW27b on display at the event below.  Any advice on a good setup, safety, avoiding damage?  How about promoting soaring?  Any materials available?  Should I let folks sit in the cockpit or is that too risky? (gear retraction, etc.).

Thanks for any advice.

Matt (J3)

[Matt Herron]

[Michael Fadden]

Many years ago I had my ASW 15 on display at, IIRC, was a "Kids Fair", a two day, indoor event. I was the only flying-related display.   I had access to a Polaroid  SX 70 and a bunch of expired film packs. Digital snapshot cameras were a new thing and cameras on phones unheard of. Anyway, it was a hit. There was a steady line for almost 7 hours both days. I allowed kids to sit in the cockpit for a quick photo. Every 30-40 seconds or so I or my helper was taking a picture. I kept a close eye  on things but there really wasn't much harm that could be done. No delicate electronics or anything. Mostly,  they wanted to know if the PTT on the stick was for machine guns and what the various instruments were for At least, the boys did. The girls were happy with just moving the stick around a bit and looking at the panel and maybe trying some switches.  I got complacent and, on the second day while I was talking to a parent, and Junior  somehow managed to retract the gear. No harm done and lesson learned. I used up all 400+ pics in the film packs and estimate and another 300-400 future pilots (two and even three wee ones at a time) got to briefly sit in the old bird with parents taking pics.  I wondered if this was the "most sat in" glider in the world.  

I've also done a couple of "Look but don't touch displays", allowing a few very interested people to have a seat.  If you do this, make sure the ship is roped off somehow with only one entrance to your display. This was key. People respected the simple barrier with very few kids trying to sneak by. All in all, I had a great time and parents were very appreciative. 

Mike

[David S]

Each year, our club puts a glider on static display at the local fair and also at an open house at a nearby airport.  Kids and adults are invited to sit in the glider.

The local fair is the usual stuff: a 4H tent, food vendors, and a midway full of carnival rides.  We use a club trainer for this, and it takes a bit of a beating.  No real damage is done, but many kids will slam the controls about, and we have to intervene and remind them that it's a real airplane and we fly it regularly.  

The airport open house is completely different.  No problems.  We put a privately-owned modern glider on display.  Most everyone is interested in aviation and respectful of the aircraft.  Maybe it helps that the kids aren't high on cotton candy and overstimulated by the midway.

   ...david

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[Andre Sosinski]

Last week I was part of the exhibition at the 2025 California International Airshow in Salinas where we had the HSC ASK-21, Pawnee tug, and my ASW-24B on display.
Gliders were very popular, especially with kids and also  pilots looking to get a glider add-on.

The thing to watch out for is people grabbing on to the canopy as they get inside the cockpit and kids slamming the controls hard against the stops.
I had couple kids who yanked on the pedal adjustment and release cables hard so keep an eye on those. Preferably limit them to moving the stick a bit and showing how the aileron move.
With assistance people love to see the air brakes open but that too requires assistance/guidance because they tend to slam them shut.
Gentle instructions before entering the cockpit solve those problems,  but don't let them close or open the canopy by themselves. 
Everyone instinctively reaches for the vent window and they tend to slam it shut. I would open and close it for them, ALWAYS.

Basically do not leave the glider unattended and don't get distracted by parents asking questions while the kid is ion the cockpit.

People like hearing about glide ratios, XC stories, and about a third did not realize at first that it no engine.

-Andre

[Daniel Mockler]

I put my JS1 on display.

Soon filled the cockpit so there was no where to sit. Didn't matter, dads put there kids on top of the pile.

Turned my back for a minute and a kid on his dads hip reached in and started flipping switches.

Only cost 4k to replace the ecu.

I suggest a roped off area.

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[Greg Arnold]

I have displayed at a few airshows.  

Once you let one interested adult sit in your glider, you will have a line of 17 kids, all who will want to know which of the buttons on the stick fires the machine gun in the hole in the nose.

I think the best policy is that no one sits in the glider.  If someone or their kid seems genuinely interested, tell them to come out to the local gliderport, where they can both sit in a glider and get a ride.  Give them a flyer for the gliderport. 

Or tell them to come back at the end of the day after the last airshow act has landed and everyone else is heading home.  Let them sit in the glider then and watch you disassemble and put the glider in the trailer.

Remember, most people at the airshow don't even know what a glider is, let alone why anyone would want to fly in one of them.  So try to sell soaring.  Have a big board that shows the flight path of an impressive local flight.  "211 miles at an average speed of 60 mph!  Faster than you could get there in your car."

The fun thing about displaying a glider is not the people who are interested for maybe 30 seconds before going on the next plane, bu the people who already have some connection to gliding.  Maybe only a personal interest from years ago, or a family member or friend who flies, or they took a glider ride at some time, or they started lessons but never got to solo.  Those are the people are might get into soaring, and it is worthwhile to display a glider to encourage them.

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[Michael Opitz]

Keep the wings level with wing stands.  We had a static display where one wing was on the ground, and a parent thought it would be cute to walk their toddler up the wing from where it sat on the ground.

Keep it roped off if you don't have multiple people watching over it.

Mike Opitz

RO

[David Kraus]

  As a few people mentioned, you’ll probably be surrounded by a large crowd. It’s best to keep the glider roped off so that the crowd can’t touch it. Make it clear that the aircraft is not a climbing, pushing, or pulling toy. Sitting in the cockpit should only be allowed under supervision.  

Dne čtvrtek 9. října 2025 v 5:12:16 UTC+2 uživatel Michael Opitz napsal:

[Michael Opitz]

Mike Opitz

RO

[Nelson Howe]

Now that's some funny shit.

[Uli N]

Had the same 'wing-walking' happening at a static display. Dad was clueless and a bit perturbed when we kindly asked to take his toddler off the wing!

On another occasion, I had my glider on display and had removed everything from the seats, leaving the bare Vinyl surface. Mom decided to lower her toddler into the cockpit and onto the Vinyl seat covers, which had by now been exposed to the sun for a good while. You probably know where that's going if you are old enough to remember your dad's car seats/bench in the summer while wearing shorts! The toddler's bottom was instantly seared and he kicked the panel, breaking off a toggle switch. Lesson learnt: cordon off the display area or guard the glider at all times.

Uli

'AS'

[Matt Herron]

Thanks all for the responses and the great stories!  I was not expecting such a variety of experiences.  Given what was said, I plan to cordon off the perimeter of the glider with caution tape and sit/tand by the cockpit to guard it.  The SSA is sending me a "Promo box" (no idea what is in it) and Iloved the idea of giving away old copies of Soaring mag..   Might put up one of those pop-up tents but I am a little concerned about what wind might do (too many youtube vids of those things flying off the beach...)  I am going to fashion a little wooden wedge to jam the gear handle in the locked down position and I will tape a little cap over the PTT (aka machine gun trigger) so folks can listen to ATC without shutting down the airport...

Will report back.

Matt

[Mark Mocho]

Also, secure your boom microphone. A friend let a kid sit in the cockpit and he grabbed the boom mic and started wiggling it around. When asked to stop doing that, the kid looked right at him, yanked on it and snapped it right off. Daddy was right there, so the kid survived. I'm not so sure I would have been so tolerant.