On Sep 10, 10:48*am, "HL Falbaum" wrote:
"Roger Worden" wrote in message

...

Are there some common guidelines about how big or old kids should be
before going for a glider ride? My concerns are around the safety
harnesses being intended for adults...

How do you ensure the harness is safe and is not going to slip around or
off a kid?

Are there safe ways to use a booster seat to enable a small one to be up
high enough to see out, without a possibility of it becoming a loose
object in the cockpit?

Anyone have experience with this subject?

There are many problems with this---
Psychological
Physiological
Intellectual
Physical.

The most pressing is the physical. The child must be able to see out or
motioin sickness can be a problem. In the event of (God forbid) a landing
mishap, the child must be protected--seat cushions will make it worse. A
solid booster chair is a must, and an adapter for the shoulder harness so it
won't slip off is needed as well.

Find out if they like carnival rides--if so, no problems with fear.

Don't try to explain everything in detail.

Good luck.

From practical experience with my kids (currently 4 and nearly 7) who
have flown since they were about 3, I'd just add:

- In something like a 2-32 or 2-33, remove the rear stick (it's easy
to do) for really little ones until you're sure they can obey
instructions not to touch. By the time my guys hit 4 or so that was
no longer an issue.
- Booster seat with integral backrest (see for instance Graco Turbo
model). This has the advantage of shoulder harness guides that align
nicely with typical airplane and glider shoulder harnesses to provide
the proper spacing for child-sized chests.
- In something like a 2-33, use the LATCH system tether (I think this
is the global term, not just US) to anchor the seat to a structural
member to prevent it from sliding around.
- Put the seat on top of a high density foam pad (which won't
compress) to provide additional friction to prevent sliding and give
additional height.
- Snug them in good and tight.

Early flights were intentionally sled rides to just get them used to
the idea. Nowadays, they actually ask ("hey dad, can we go to the
airport today.") Last weekend was a big one for us, as my son
actually took the controls for 10 minutes to practice turns, speed
control, etc. Prior to that, he would just want to do a quick turn and
then give it back. Key is to make it fun and low pressure.
Nowadays, the kids look for bald eagles (saw one last weekend), remark
on backyard pools, farm animals, etc. Good fun.

P3