Can gliders and powered aircraft co-exist on the same runway?

Can anyone identify and airport where gliders and powered aircraft use
the same runway? Do they use opposite traffic patterns? Any other
operational issues?

Ron Lee

They can exist on the same runway.. but it would depend on the volume of
traffic of each type.
With a student doing touch and goes in the pattern, it would be difficult to
"stage and launch" a glider without a good ground crew that can push the
glider with the pilot already strapped in and ready for launch.

A large area near the threshold for staging and being able to "launch at an
angle to the runway and onto the runway" would work best. Also an area to
land and then have the glider "roll clear" to the side would also work best.
Runway side lights tend to cause a problem for this.

I would suggest opposite patterns so you can see each other on downwind and
base.

At our airport we are lucky to have parallel paved runways, one for glider
and one for power.
Multiple glider operations does cause congestion on the glider runway, we do
have a cleared infield and no runway lights on the "glider runway" so that
landing gliders can roll clear, or if the runway is blocked by a landing
glider, the next glider in the landing sequence can land on the infield, if
not long or short.
BT, CFIG

"Ron Lee" wrote in message
...
Can anyone identify and airport where gliders and powered aircraft use
the same runway? Do they use opposite traffic patterns? Any other
operational issues?

Ron Lee

I can think of two examples from my own personal experience:
1. Terry Airport (TYQ)- north side of Indianapolis, former home of the
Central Indiana Soaring Society, usually had right hand traffic for
gliders, which frequently used the parallel grass but would also use
the pavement. They are not there anymore because of big increase in jet
traffic at that airport.

2. Harnett County, North Carolina. Home of North Carolina Soaring
Assoc. much less busy airport, staged off the pavement for launching,
but would also use the grass to the side (not a formal strip) to land.
More traffic was overhead with the proximity to Fort Bragg and Pope
AFB. Also used right hand traffic for gliders.

-Ryan

Ron Lee wrote:
Can anyone identify and airport where gliders and powered aircraft use
the same runway? Do they use opposite traffic patterns? Any other
operational issues?

Ron Lee

Matamata, New Zealand - very very wide grass runways, AFAIK it's
gliders one side, powered the other..

chris wrote:

Ron Lee wrote:
Can anyone identify and airport where gliders and powered aircraft use
the same runway? Do they use opposite traffic patterns? Any other
operational issues?

Ron Lee

Matamata, New Zealand - very very wide grass runways, AFAIK it's
gliders one side, powered the other..

and Paraparaumu.
According to the AIP just about every airfield here (except AK, WGTN,
CHCH and Ohakea)

On Sat, 13 Jan 2007 04:14:45 GMT
(Ron Lee) wrote:

Can anyone identify and airport where gliders and powered aircraft use
the same runway? Do they use opposite traffic patterns? Any other
operational issues?

Stanton (KSYN), http://www.stantonairfield.com/ runs a lot of glider
operations on the same runways as powered traffic, including students
and sport pilots. Stanton Airfield is the headquarters of the Minnesota
Soaring Club.

The gliders use the same traffic patterns, but sometimes do a short
approach or enter on base leg or final rather than downwind. Glider
traffic has the right of way over powered aircraft. After landing, they
roll off to the side of the runway and are pulled back to the staging
area by a golf cart.

Powered traffic just lands beyond the staging area and taxis on the
opposite side of the runway.

Doug

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Doug Spencer wrote:
On Sat, 13 Jan 2007 04:14:45 GMT

Can anyone identify and airport where gliders and powered aircraft use
the same runway? Do they use opposite traffic patterns? Any other
operational issues?


At Santa Ynez, CA (IZA) the gliders use a long grass/dirt overrun area
on the east end of runway 8/26. The wind is usually from the west, so
gliders taking off under tow do interfere with powered traffic. Landing
both they and their towplanes usually stop short of the runway
threshold. IIRC they fly a right hand pattern, whereas powered traffic
uses left hand.

The gliding and powered operations seem to coexist without much problem
- but I, for one, never liked the distractions of aircraft and people
on the ground near the runway threshold. Once, long ago, the wind was
from the East, and I was about to take off on runway 8. Just before
taxiing into position a glider appeared (unannounced) making a downwind
landing. He landed long, and rolled down the remaining runway, past my
nose and into the grass at the far end. I was not amused.

David Johnson

Ron Lee wrote:
Can anyone identify and airport where gliders and powered aircraft use
the same runway? Do they use opposite traffic patterns? Any other
operational issues?

Ron Lee

5c1 north of San Antonio, Texas. Also known as Boerne Stage.

It has a paved runway used by both gliders and powered aircraft.
Parallel and close by is a grass strip. Powered and gliders can use
the grass, but it was usually used by gliders if the main runway was
occupied.

Traffic patterns were the same, IIRC. Of course, gliders had the right
of way. There were some pattern limitations due to nearby residents
who chose to live near an airport but didn't want to hear airplanes.

Neat place.

Ron Lee wrote:
Can anyone identify and airport where gliders and powered aircraft use
the same runway? Do they use opposite traffic patterns? Any other
operational issues?

Ron Lee
At Dansville,NY, (KDSV) the gliders take off on a grass strip to the
right of 14, and fly a right hand traffic pattern. One day I was flying
into Dansville, and the winds were light and variable. The gliders were
departing from 14 (turf or right), and the tow plane was doing a 180 and
landing, flying straight in on the opposing runway, 32, on the bitumen.
It all sounded a bit different listening on the CTAF, to work out what
the active runway was, so I flew over the field and worked out what was
going on. The winds did favour slightly 14, so this could be a cause for
a concern for a head on type accident. I landed on 14 myself, once I
had worked out the 32 was being used purely for the convienience of the
tow plane.

James.

Ron Lee wrote:
Can anyone identify and airport where gliders and powered aircraft use
the same runway? Do they use opposite traffic patterns? Any other
operational issues?

Hollister, CA (3O7)has crossing runways (31-13, 06-24). Fixed wing
(powered and gliders) use left traffic, helicopters use right traffic.
Bit of a pain waiting for glider hookup, which takes place on the runway
- causes periodic 2 minute delays.

When winds are calm, powered use 31, gliders use 24. In the afternoon
when the west winds pick up, everyone uses 24 including the turbine
powered air tankers when landing - although they always use the 6000 ft
31 for takeoff when loaded.

Deane Judd
Cessna R172K