Children in gliders?

"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?

For a few years I had a nice gig as a rides pilot, my youngest passengers
were in the 5 or 6 year-old category. I see little point in taking up a child
that is too young to understand and later remember the experience. We never
tried a booster chair, but used cushions instead. (There might be something to
be said for booster chairs.) I don't recall any particular problems with an "H"
harness fitting a child of that age. Our procedure was to instruct the child to
cross arms and grip the shoulder straps high on their chest with both hands and
"don't let go". The main purpose of this was to keep their inquisitive hands
off of the controls. If you put the child in the front seat, don't forget the
ballast!

Keep the briefing short, but describe the experience in terms that they can
understand: The glider "tilts like a bicycle" when it turns, and "goes up and
down like a kiddie rollercoaster". If your takeoff area is bumpy, warn of that
just before takeoff. Throughout the ride, keep talking. Describe what you are
going to do, and point out interesting things on the ground; particularly the
place you just took off from, and any family that may be there to watch.

As for the ride, simpler and shorter is better. As every good entertainer
knows, "leave them wanting more". If you land with a sick and/or terrified
child, you will have turned that person off on your favorite sport for life.


--
Vaughn

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