That's OK. The Glider Will Hold.

Saw a cute photo on Facebook of a two-place motorglider with the prop spinning and the caption:

Control: "You're unreadable. Say again"
Motorglider: "I've turned off the engine. Is that better?"
Control: [long pause]

Reminded me of a story my father told me way back when (1960s). A soaring buddy--Bill Sparks, IIRC--had arrived at his goal late in the afternoon after a long flight (500 km?) and was circling over El Paso, TX waiting for the OK to land. After the tower cleared him, he headed for the airport a mile or so away to enter the pattern...just as a another aircraft excitedly announced a medevac emergency flight that needed to land ASAP!

When the tower informed the medevac flight that they'd have to wait until the glider landed, Bill radioed back, "That's OK, tower, the glider will hold"...and headed back to the house thermal over the city. Apparently some of the crew from the tower trooped down to the ramp to see him after he finally landed a few minutes later.

I've done the "I'll hold" routine from a high pattern, with a few S turns on final to let someone else in after a mass finish, but that's at a gliderport where that sort of thing doesn't raise as many eyebrows.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
U.S.A.

This should start some great story's. I was landing my Ventus at Laughlin/ Bullhead city a few years ago, and lots of small jet traffic coming in for a conference was making it tough for the tower to sequence me in, (they were worried about me clearing after landing). So they asked if I could land on the taxi way and they would get somebody down to help me move up onto the ramp. To which I asked how wide between the lights it was. When they told me it was 60' I said no problem and proceeded onto final parallel with a citation landing! I managed not only to land but made the 90 degree turn up a hill onto the ramp and within a wingspan of a tiesown spot! I swear I could hear the controllers clapping

"Holding" for the Rich and Beautiful in their BizJets was SOP and part of the operating agreement at Aspen.

I have even gone around in a glider from short final when we ended up nose-nose with a Lear 36. Due to the 8700 ft msl elevation, hot summers and uphill landings, the Lear was either going to land or crash.


And people wonder why I fly very high, very steep approaches.......

wrote 2015/09/28 at 20:49:

This should start some great story's.

well; mine may just not be great, but somewhat touching (me) ...

About 11 years ago, me a glider student, just soloed, our club (over
here in Germany) had a summer camp at another club, like we do every 2nd
year. I had begun flying a couple of months ago together with my son,
who hadn't soloed yet. While thermalling about 2.000 ft above the
airfield, I received a radio call by our instructor: "Werner, may you
hold a little? We are just going to launch your son for his first solo!"
"I'll try", I answered and was so lucky to be able to stay in that
thermal, so I could see my son being winched up for is very 1st solo
flight, doing the pattern and land safely. Think I'll never forget!

Regards
Werner

I've done this quite a few times at my home airport. The closest thing we have to a "house thermal" is ridge lift on the lower slope of the ridge right next to the runway and about halfway along the downwind leg for runway 25.. There's also a helicopter operation based just off the end of that runway.. I've held there quite a few times for the helicopters and for visiting power traffic too. As I've said, staying up another five minutes as a courtesy to them doesn't cost me any extra money! The tight circuit needed at our airport frequently intimidates visiting pilots too (the base of the 6000 foot high ridge that runs along the south side of the airport is only about 400 meters from the runway so you don't get much of a base leg) so it seems considerate to give them a clear pattern if possible.

Two of us were landing out at Pueblo, CO during a contest. I offered to
land on the taxiway and the tower approved. Since the other glider was
lower, he landed first at the approach end of the taxiway and cleared
off. I overflew him, landed long, rolled into the tie down area, and
placed my wingtip into the hand of the waiting hot-panted young ramp
lady at Flower Aviation. The tower transmitted, "Nicely done, Bravo
Bravo." I knew about the ladies since I often flew the company King Air
there for practice approaches and fueling.

On 9/28/2015 12:49 PM, wrote:
This should start some great story's. I was landing my Ventus at Laughlin/ Bullhead city a few years ago, and lots of small jet traffic coming in for a conference was making it tough for the tower to sequence me in, (they were worried about me clearing after landing). So they asked if I could land on the taxi way and they would get somebody down to help me move up onto the ramp. To which I asked how wide between the lights it was. When they told me it was 60' I said no problem and proceeded onto final parallel with a citation landing! I managed not only to land but made the 90 degree turn up a hill onto the ramp and within a wingspan of a tiesown spot! I swear I could hear the controllers clapping

--
Dan, 5J

A pilot got low just south of Colorado Springs and the best option was the army airfield nearby. So he contacted the tower and declared an emergency...
Tower: "State nature of emergency"
Pilot: "Zero fuel"

That's a good one to keep in your back pocket in case some airplane driver tries to delay your landing.

And then there's having to convince the airplane(s) ahead and below me to just keep doing what they were planning, and I'll work myself into the pattern and find a place to land out of their way...

5Z

That was Ivan, wasn't it, Tom?

On 9/28/2015 6:59 PM, wrote:
A pilot got low just south of Colorado Springs and the best option was the army airfield nearby. So he contacted the tower and declared an emergency...
Tower: "State nature of emergency"
Pilot: "Zero fuel"

That's a good one to keep in your back pocket in case some airplane driver tries to delay your landing.

And then there's having to convince the airplane(s) ahead and below me to just keep doing what they were planning, and I'll work myself into the pattern and find a place to land out of their way...

5Z

--
Dan, 5J

Yep.

On Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 7:43:45 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
That was Ivan, wasn't it, Tom?