Motorglider and Towered Airport

Steve B wrote:
Doug... you are correct about management being able to make your life
easy or not so easy. So it looks like I have a long road to hoe.


Steve,

If you are Steven Perry Barnes, the FAA says you also have an
ASEL license. Hmmm...so there may be some other options.

Just brainstorming, mind you, but perhaps you can recertify your
motorglider as an airplane? Then it's just an experimental airplane...

Also, if you fly out of there once in a regular plane, and show
how professionally you handle everything, when the controllers hear
your voice again they'll know you aren't some yahoo gonna
mess up their sequencing.

From the Airnav picture, it looks like Kona has at least one
high speed taxiway for you to get off. So that is very good.
I suppose the next issue is how to taxi.
If the glider can be taxied without a wingrunner, fine. If not
maybe Century Aviation or Tropicbird or Hawaii flight
academy, etc. can help you with a golf cart, a teenagers with a
reflective vest, and a short rope to taxi you away.

If it were me, I'd get a reflective vest for myself and the line boy,
go out and scout the taxi obstructions with the fire department,
arrange for a golf cart and rope, and pick a time with little
traffic. I'd also check in with the local flight schools and
tell them a plan and ask for input. They are likely to be
the biggest complainers or best allies.

I don't know about Kona, but at Palomar if I was a controller
and someone wanted to fly a motorglider there I'd be livid.
By recollection, the taxiway and runway are so close together too
that I don't know if you could even safely taxi a glider
without wake turbulence being a factor in some areas. And with
the huge optempo (761 ops/day), taxi and landings and takeoffs are
quite challenging to order.

At 329 operations a day, Kona seems pretty packed too. Requesting
a taxiway for takeoff which ISN'T the one everyone else uses seems
a good idea, and using the high speed taxi off after landing should
minimize the grief about cluttering the active. Taxiing the
glider in a safe and efficient way is something else entirely...

Maybe try the whole thing simulated in a power plane first? A
little rehearsal dance for the golf cart and driver, and the
controller, and you?

Just some thoughts...hope they help with creative solutions...

(Mark James Boyd) wrote in message news:3ffc643c$1@darkstar...
Steve B wrote:
Doug... you are correct about management being able to make your life
easy or not so easy. So it looks like I have a long road to hoe.


Steve,

If you are Steven Perry Barnes, the FAA says you also have an
ASEL license. Hmmm...so there may be some other options.

Just brainstorming, mind you, but perhaps you can recertify your
motorglider as an airplane? Then it's just an experimental airplane...

Nice try... certificate of air worthiness is classified as glider
(not experimental or airplane)



Also, if you fly out of there once in a regular plane, and show
how professionally you handle everything, when the controllers hear
your voice again they'll know you aren't some yahoo gonna
mess up their sequencing.

I fly my Mooney there as well


From the Airnav picture, it looks like Kona has at least one
high speed taxiway for you to get off. So that is very good.

I am impressed with your attention to detail... I like the high speed
taxiway as well for runway 17

I suppose the next issue is how to taxi.
If the glider can be taxied without a wingrunner, fine. If not
maybe Century Aviation or Tropicbird or Hawaii flight
academy, etc. can help you with a golf cart, a teenagers with a
reflective vest, and a short rope to taxi you away.

Taxi is no problem with the tail wheel steering and wing tip wheels...
taxi ways are ample and the runway is 150 ft wide.


If it were me, I'd get a reflective vest for myself and the line boy,
go out and scout the taxi obstructions with the fire department,
arrange for a golf cart and rope, and pick a time with little
traffic. I'd also check in with the local flight schools and
tell them a plan and ask for input. They are likely to be
the biggest complainers or best allies.

I don't know about Kona, but at Palomar if I was a controller
and someone wanted to fly a motorglider there I'd be livid.

Sounds subjective to me. Am I to assume that you would want to
discriminate against aeronautical activity? So am I also to assume
that you would not allow other light aircraft as well. Would that be
legal?

By recollection, the taxiway and runway are so close together too
that I don't know if you could even safely taxi a glider
without wake turbulence being a factor in some areas.

This glider ASH 26-e is a fairly heavy machine... 1100 lbs ready to
go. I would expect it to handle similar to a J3 cub or a Cessna 150
regarding jet blast.

And with
the huge optempo (761 ops/day), taxi and landings and takeoffs are
quite challenging to order.

At 329 operations a day, Kona seems pretty packed too. Requesting
a taxiway for takeoff which ISN'T the one everyone else uses seems
a good idea, and using the high speed taxi off after landing should
minimize the grief about cluttering the active.

There is an ultra light that uses the taxi way for take off and
landing, as well as Helicopters... it is a bit tight for the 60 ft
wing span to be landing on it.


Taxiing the
glider in a safe and efficient way is something else entirely...

Taxi should be no problem


Maybe try the whole thing simulated in a power plane first? A
little rehearsal dance for the golf cart and driver, and the
controller, and you?

I am moving in the direction of submitting a proposal for the opertion
of the motorglider to the parties involved in the decision making
process.


Just some thoughts...hope they help with creative solutions...

Lateral thinking... good stuff!

Thanks
Steve B.

Steve B wrote:
(Mark James Boyd) wrote in message news:3ffc643c$1@darkstar...

Taxi is no problem with the tail wheel steering and wing tip wheels...
taxi ways are ample and the runway is 150 ft wide.

Excellent. That's a huge problem solved.

I don't know about Kona, but at Palomar if I was a controller
and someone wanted to fly a motorglider there I'd be livid.

Sounds subjective to me. Am I to assume that you would want to
discriminate against aeronautical activity? So am I also to assume
that you would not allow other light aircraft as well. Would that be
legal?

Some airports have done just that. San Jose International
shoved out the little guys with it's $50 ramp fee, and SFO and
LAX do the same. I've heard rumblings of Santa Monica
doing the same (fees for deplaning). Number of operations a day
and revenue from those operations are a big motivator. Whether
one is legally allowed to do something sometimes takes a back seat.
I was really just trying to give some insight into the thoughts
behind these attitudes, I don't endorse the prejudice or give in
to it, just recognise the source and try to play along...

This glider ASH 26-e is a fairly heavy machine... 1100 lbs ready to
go. I would expect it to handle similar to a J3 cub or a Cessna 150
regarding jet blast.

also excellent...


There is an ultra light that uses the taxi way for take off and
landing, as well as Helicopters... it is a bit tight for the 60 ft
wing span to be landing on it.


it's starting to look like you'll have more options than many
on this group (including me) originally assumed...

I am moving in the direction of submitting a proposal for the opertion
of the motorglider to the parties involved in the decision making
process.

Using lesser used taxiways right before takeoff, landing long,
using high speed taxiways for landing, and taxiing efficiently
sound like a great help. The fact you are very familiar from your Mooney
experience also suggests you have this well thought out and
should be an excellent airport neighbor. Good for you!!


Lateral thinking... good stuff!

Thanks
Steve B.