Fake Snakes: Protecting Your Airplane from the Public

Synthetic serpents on the wings make just the right statement for a vintage airplane pilot.

Monday, August 21, 2023 at 05:19 PM ET

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Ron Johnson from Rockford, Illinois, has a particularly clever means of protecting his 1941 Ryan PT-22—he puts realistic-looking toy snakes on the wings. The message is clear: Don’t tread on me. [Courtesy Dave Lefavour]

Key Takeaways:

Ron Johnson effectively deters the public from touching his vintage 1941 Ryan PT-22 aircraft at air shows by placing realistic toy snakes on its wings.
This clever solution addresses the common problem of "John Q. Public" disrespecting displayed private aircraft, which Johnson finds more effective than direct confrontation.
Johnson, a skilled pilot and mechanic, restored the challenging-to-fly PT-22, a plane that serves as a memory trigger for many aviators, and also owns a rare 1931 Buhl Bull Pup.

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One of the first lessons we learn as children is “if it isn’t yours, don’t touch it.” However, there are many people who seem to forget this when they see a really cool airplane. Despite “Do Not Touch” signs hanging on the propeller, there are some folks who touch, lean on, and even climb on or into aircraft that don’t belong to them.

Ron Johnson from Rockford, Illinois, has a particularly clever means of protecting his 1941 Ryan PT-22—he puts realistic-looking toy snakes on the wings. The message is clear: Don’t tread on me.