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

Generally the glider traffic uses opposite traffic from the power
traffic (left/right).

We operate single runway, power and glider operations at Salida,
Colorado, Buena Vista, Colorado, Fremont County (Cannon City),
Colorado and FNL (Fort Collins/Loveland), Colorado.

We will NEVER be able to train the power pilots about glider
operations, so it requires that the glider pilots, tow pilots
and glider ground crew are always watching, have a plan
and an alternate plan. I've often landed on the main runway,
then chosen my place (between the runway lights) and taxied
off the runway into the grass to clear the runway because
I knew the power pilot behind me was clueless.

Yes, I have 6 times more power time than glider time... with 6000
hours total time. It just takes safety awareness and PLANNING!

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


Best regards,

Jer/ "Flight instruction and mountain flying are my vocations!"
--
Jer/ (Slash) Eberhard, Mountain Flying Aviation, LTD, Ft Collins, CO
CELL 970 231-6325 EMAIL jer at frii.com http://users.frii.com/jer/
C-206 N9513G, CFII Airplane&Glider FAA-DEN Aviation Safety Counselor
CAP-CO Mission&Aircraft CheckPilot BM218 HAM N0FZD 247 Young Eagles!

At my airport, KBZN, we have lots of different traffic - maybe a dozen
airline flights/day, lots of bizjets and everything else including
flight training, Cubs, aerobatics, glider and parachutes. We have 3
runways, 12-30 at 9kft long, 11-29 sod parallel to the main, and 3-21
at 3kft crossing 12-30 near the east end. We also have a contract
control tower.

Normally, glider traffic uses the 3-21 runway, launching from 3 and
landing 21. If the winds get too strong to support this, the gliders
usually pack it in for the day. The guys out ridge running figure out
something when they arrive - usually singly. This almost always works
out ok. But.....there are a bunch of hangars around 3-21 and the
planes based there like to use 3-21 also.

Once, I was in the pattern to land my glider on 21 when a guy in a 30's
era biplane called tower to takeoff on runway 3. Tower cleared him
into "position and hold" which he did. Meanwhile, I'm base turning
final for 21 at about 200 ft. Obviously, tower forgot about me. Tower
then clears him to takeoff into my face, which he did. Yikes! Too late
to talk with tower about it, I did a quick 180 then a 90 to land on 30
and coasted to a stop hundreds of feet from a taxiway. Of course, this
shut down the airport for about five minutes while I dragged my glider
off without help. Would have been nice if the biplane guy had better
SA. Would have been nice if tower could have heard me better. I
quickly got a much better radio installed in the glider.

But hey, it usually works pretty well. But you need a backup plan

K l e i n


wrote:
Generally the glider traffic uses opposite traffic from the power
traffic (left/right).

We operate single runway, power and glider operations at Salida,
Colorado, Buena Vista, Colorado, Fremont County (Cannon City),
Colorado and FNL (Fort Collins/Loveland), Colorado.

We will NEVER be able to train the power pilots about glider
operations, so it requires that the glider pilots, tow pilots
and glider ground crew are always watching, have a plan
and an alternate plan. I've often landed on the main runway,
then chosen my place (between the runway lights) and taxied
off the runway into the grass to clear the runway because
I knew the power pilot behind me was clueless.

Yes, I have 6 times more power time than glider time... with 6000
hours total time. It just takes safety awareness and PLANNING!

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


Best regards,

Jer/ "Flight instruction and mountain flying are my vocations!"
--
Jer/ (Slash) Eberhard, Mountain Flying Aviation, LTD, Ft Collins, CO
CELL 970 231-6325 EMAIL jer at frii.com http://users.frii.com/jer/
C-206 N9513G, CFII Airplane&Glider FAA-DEN Aviation Safety Counselor
CAP-CO Mission&Aircraft CheckPilot BM218 HAM N0FZD 247 Young Eagles!