Airplanes in airport terminals

RalphInCA

RalphInCA

Cleared for Takeoff
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Messages
1,353
Location
McMinnville, OR
Display Name
Display name:
RalphInCA
It seems to me that in major, international terminals there are fewer and fewer airplanes on display.

Sometimes you can walk through the entire terminal and get to your gate and never even see an airplane.

Why don’t more airports put airplanes on display in terminals?

No wonder no one is excited about commercial flying anymore - all you ever see is a boring terminal and the inside of an aluminum tube.
 
Last edited:
Not sure what “demographics” means, but OK.

Are you saying that marketing studies have shown that people do not want to see airplanes in terminals?
 
There's a Cessna 172 suspended from the ceiling over the Terminal 1 baggage claim area at McCarran International in Las Vegas. This particular 172 holds the endurance record for staying airborne in 1959, a record that still stands (64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes and 5 seconds).
 
A few people complained.

disater2000.nw.brake8.GIF
 
I'm saying people nowadays probably would rather have giant screens with reality TV shows on or something, besides if you hung the planes up no one would see them since they are always looking down at their phones.
 
Last edited:
San Diego has a Spirit of St Luis hanging from the ceiling in the terminal in honor of Lindbergh. Logan used to have an awesome Rube Goldberg machine.. Frankly, many of the bigger airports (JFK, LAX, even LGA) are pretty sad looking tbh. At least the smaller places like Bozeman, etc., have some local character to them

People hate flying altogether now, they probably don't need more plane reminders. Everyone gets on the plane, closes their window shade tight, and spends the rest of the flight playing Candy Crush.
 
RalphInCA said:
Not sure what “demographics” means, but OK.

Are you saying that marketing studies have shown that people do not want to see airplanes in terminals?
Click to expand...
I think most people just want to get to their destination on time. Most of them hate the entire process of getting there.
 
Come to our airport. Far from boring. Today for example there are three live musicians through out the terminal. We have dedicated airplane observation decks, free of charge with 3 story floor to ceiling windows looking over the apron and runways. We installed out door elevated platforms to cater to airplane spotters.... we have a park just outside the fence across the runways threshold, again built for spotters to get the best view. We have a river running through our international departures lounge.... that ends up with a massive aquarium full of local fish and marine life. Many great restaurants and lounges, tons of shopping, we have models of the airport with descriptions about the operation large chest boards to play.... the list goes on. Our twitter feed is full of airplane photos taken day of, lots of information regarding aircraft etc. We certainly cater to the airplane and aviation geek here. I never mind having to wait here. We do not have an airplane inside any of the terminals...at least a real one (there are models).
 
Lambert has a couple of Monocoupes on display in their terminals. They're beautiful and I always enjoy looking at them when I'm there!
 
I haven't noticed. But then I haven't been inside an airline terminal much lately. Might have something to do with that green/blue plastic card in my wallet and peice of paper from my doctor.
 
There used to be a restored Waco with Northwest Airways paint that my friend owned on display in MSP until Delta bought them. No more, now it's in some museum or something.
 
TipTanks said:
Come to our airport. Far from boring. Today for example there are three live musicians through out the terminal. We have dedicated airplane observation decks, free of charge with 3 story floor to ceiling windows looking over the apron and runways. We installed out door elevated platforms to cater to airplane spotters.... we have a park just outside the fence across the runways threshold, again built for spotters to get the best view. We have a river running through our international departures lounge.... that ends up with a massive aquarium full of local fish and marine life. Many great restaurants and lounges, tons of shopping, we have models of the airport with descriptions about the operation large chest boards to play.... the list goes on. Our twitter feed is full of airplane photos taken day of, lots of information regarding aircraft etc. We certainly cater to the airplane and aviation geek here. I never mind having to wait here. We do not have an airplane inside any of the terminals...at least a real one (there are models).
Click to expand...

You can’t build it up like that without telling us where you are located!
 
Stan Cooper said:
There's a Cessna 172 suspended from the ceiling over the Terminal 1 baggage claim area at McCarran International in Las Vegas. This particular 172 holds the endurance record for staying airborne in 1959, a record that still stands (64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes and 5 seconds).
Click to expand...
That would be this one:

cessna_172_1958_2.jpeg

In another thread here a few days ago we were discussing the Alexander Eaglerock hanging from the ceiling at Denver:

image1.jpg

In the domestic terminal ticket lobby at Charles Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney, Australia, there is a replica of Qantas' first aircraft, an Avro 504K:

P2193775.jpg

P2193776.jpg

Upstairs from the domestic terminal Qantas has a "Historic Gallery" open to the public. There are many interesting displays from the airline's history, and it is in a room with a panoramic view of the approach end of 16R.

Screen Shot 2018-08-17 at 12.56.45 PM.png

Screen Shot 2018-08-17 at 12.57.24 PM.png
 
LoLPilot said:
Lambert has a couple of Monocoupes on display in their terminals. They're beautiful and I always enjoy looking at them when I'm there!
Click to expand...
Everytime i go there i imagine what it would be like to fly one. Lots of engine, not much wing.
 
go to a place where there's tons of airplanes.....to see one or two more airplanes? maybe I'm oblivious to it but I don't recall the last time I was at an airport and saw an airplane on display.
 
There's an F4F on display at ORD. And the Voyager replica at SEA isn't alone, there's another plane hanging next to it. I don't remember what it is, and I walk by them every time I'm headed for baggage claim after getting off a UA flight.
 
There's Red homebuilt something-or-other slapped together in a corner on the floor at STI in the D.R. At least they tried........
 
TipTanks said:
Come to our airport. Far from boring. Today for example there are three live musicians through out the terminal. We have dedicated airplane observation decks, free of charge with 3 story floor to ceiling windows looking over the apron and runways. We installed out door elevated platforms to cater to airplane spotters.... we have a park just outside the fence across the runways threshold, again built for spotters to get the best view. We have a river running through our international departures lounge.... that ends up with a massive aquarium full of local fish and marine life. Many great restaurants and lounges, tons of shopping, we have models of the airport with descriptions about the operation large chest boards to play.... the list goes on. Our twitter feed is full of airplane photos taken day of, lots of information regarding aircraft etc. We certainly cater to the airplane and aviation geek here. I never mind having to wait here. We do not have an airplane inside any of the terminals...at least a real one (there are models).
Click to expand...
Sounds like PDX. I know they had musicians there when I went through. Not sure about the other stuff.
 
RalphInCA said:
It seems to me that in major, international terminals there are fewer and fewer airplanes on display.

Sometimes you can walk through the entire terminal and get to your gate and never even see an airplane.

Why don’t more airports put airplanes on display in terminals?

No wonder no one is excited about commercial flying anymore - all you ever see is a boring terminal and the inside of an aluminum tube.
Click to expand...

1. It is not the responsibility of commercial airport terminal to support GA, which is the only aircraft small enough to be displayed.
2. Commercial airports obtain revenue for marketing displayed in the terminals, a display that does not produce revenue costs the airport.
3. The general commercial customer gives a crap less about seeing a plane in the terminal.
 
TipTanks said:
Come to our airport. Far from boring. Today for example there are three live musicians through out the terminal. We have dedicated airplane observation decks, free of charge with 3 story floor to ceiling windows looking over the apron and runways. We installed out door elevated platforms to cater to airplane spotters.... we have a park just outside the fence across the runways threshold, again built for spotters to get the best view. We have a river running through our international departures lounge.... that ends up with a massive aquarium full of local fish and marine life. Many great restaurants and lounges, tons of shopping, we have models of the airport with descriptions about the operation large chest boards to play.... the list goes on. Our twitter feed is full of airplane photos taken day of, lots of information regarding aircraft etc. We certainly cater to the airplane and aviation geek here. I never mind having to wait here. We do not have an airplane inside any of the terminals...at least a real one (there are models).
Click to expand...

So these, uh, chest boards you can play with.......
 
paflyer said:
jimmy-doolittle-and-the-gee-bee-racer-DYH6NX.jpg
Click to expand...

Steve Wolf and Delmar Benjamin built a perfect replica of a Gee Bee R2 that Benjamin used to fly in airshows in the 1990s. I think it's in the Kermit Weeks collection in Florida now.

 
You may need to look for them. Most of the airports listed below are larger, international airports. It is common to hang them from the ceiling, as if in flight, and are easily missed since people often don't look up. They may be in a part of the airport you may not need to traverse.

KORD has a Wildcat and some history commemorating Butch O'Hare between concourse B and E/F.

KDEN has a JN-1 hanging from the ceiling.

KSFO, IIRC, has some model planes in one of the halls which split to different gates.

KLNK has a home-built in the main lobby

I saw this Junkers A-50 in EFHK (Helsinki, HEL)
JAK_2555 by Jack Silver, on Flickr
 
Inside the terminal at KLUK (Cincinnati Muni Lunken Field).
Inside-Lunken-Terminal-Christian-Pezalla-1.jpg
 
Cap'n Jack said:
KSFO, IIRC, has some model planes in one of the halls which split to different gates.
Click to expand...

You remember correctly. Out in the gates serving UA. Maybe I'll remember to take a picture or two when I go through there in late October on my way to/from Busan, South Korea.
 
Wow!

Perhaps I’ve been going through the wrong airports. Seems like my comment was a little off base. There are lots of airports with airplanes on display.

It’s nice to hear that I was wrong.
 
Ghery said:
You remember correctly. Out in the gates serving UA. Maybe I'll remember to take a picture or two when I go through there in late October on my way to/from Busan, South Korea.
Click to expand...
Thanks for confirming that.

I didn't know about the Lear at KDEN mentioned by @paflyer . It is probably in a part I don't go through. I go through there anywhere from twice to 5 times a year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top