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

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