We have 2 sky dive and 3 glider operations at our field.. and with the
support of airport management, the "drop zone" is 4 miles south of the
runways. We have been very adamant about no drop zones on the airport.

We have two parallel runways, 4500 and 3500, feet long and separated by
300ft centerline to centerline. Power aircraft operations are on the west
runway (longer) and maintain their traffic pattern on that side. Glider
operations are on the east (shorter) runway and maintain glider and tow
plane operations on the east side.

Our primary concern with the jump zone "on airport": If the jump plane calls
2 minutes to jump or even jumpers away and the glider is on the wrong side
of the airport in serious sink, the glider cannot safely approach the
airport and land without fear of striking someone in free fall or under
canopy. Some glider with a radio failure would never hear the call. There is
not a lot of "cleared landing area" safely away from runways, aircraft ramp
parking or powerlines for a parachute operation, even though they say they
can "hit a bullseye", because they land "off airport", we do not have
statistics or witness to discredit their statements.

We know when jump operations are in effect (sunrise to sunset 7 days a week)
so we give the jump zone a 2nm radius clearance. Even then we have been at
10K MSL (7500AGL) well outside the 2nm ring and had meatballs in free fall
pass within meters of the wing. Even though the Jump Master said they never
jump more than 1500meters from the zone center. Meatballs in free fall can
track a good horizontal distance out and return to the zone.

As another mentioned, by Federal Airport Funding rules, you cannot keep a
jump school off the airport, just the same as ultra lights. But be friendly,
and negotiate a jump zone outside the airport traffic patterns by at least 2
nm for safety.

The jump school will complain of the added cost of manning a off airport
landing area and providing return transportation. But you need to market the
increased volume of jumps possible because the jump master is not waiting
for the airport to clear from a departing or a series of landing aircraft,
whether they be gliders, powered.. or at MEV.. FIRE BOMBERS.

BT

"bumper" wrote in message
...
A Skydiving company has approached airport management, wanting to open a
skydiving operation at Minden-Tahoe Airport, Nevada, USA. Minden, as you're
probably aware, is considered by many to be one of the true soaring Mecca,
with superb soaring conditions, beautiful scenery and much more. It also
has a mix of powered aircraft traffic including business jets, with over
half the airport operations being glider related.

There are a number of other airports in the US, and probably elsewhere,
that support both gliders and skydivers, though I'm not sure they have the
same number of operations was KMEV (60 to 70K per year). Safety, is a
primary concern, as is the potential for driving away soaring pilots.

If you have any experience, good or bad, in sharing an airport with
skydivers, please post.

all the best,
--
bumper ZZ (reverse all after @)
"Dare to be different . . . circle in sink."