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

Simply put, there are no standards. I have flown at
sites where the patterns are the same, and at sites
where they are on opposite sides of the runway. There
are those who will insist that opposing each other
on the base leg is suicidal because transient traffic
will not understand, will do unexpected avoidance maneuvers,
and throw everything into a scramble.

At 04:54 13 January 2007, Bt wrote:
>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
>news:45a85d79.10121875@news.pcisys.net...
>> Can anyone identify an airport where gliders and powered
>>aircraft use
>> the same runway? Do they use opposite traffic patterns?
>> Any other
>> operational issues?
>>
>> Ron Lee
>
>
>

You might want to check AOPA also. If local procedures have changed,
they may not be reflected there. We had a recent power visitor that
was briefed on local procedures, then proceeded to do what was on the
AOPA web site. Enlightening to all concerned.

A couple glider operations have lost their access to the parallel grass
in recent years.

Frank Whiteley

Nyal Williams wrote:
> Simply put, there are no standards. I have flown at
> sites where the patterns are the same, and at sites
> where they are on opposite sides of the runway. There
> are those who will insist that opposing each other
> on the base leg is suicidal because transient traffic
> will not understand, will do unexpected avoidance maneuvers,
> and throw everything into a scramble.
>
> At 04:54 13 January 2007, Bt wrote:
> >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
> >news:45a85d79.10121875@news.pcisys.net...
> >> Can anyone identify an airport where gliders and powered
> >>aircraft use
> >> the same runway? Do they use opposite traffic patterns?
> >> Any other
> >> operational issues?
> >>
> >> Ron Lee
> >
> >
> >

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

Brian and Gillian Spreckley used to launch their South African
operation from the same runway in M'mabatho that 707s and 747s used for
touch-and-gos. Glider patterns on one side, power on the other, and a
control tower. Sequencing was interesting and sometimes very noisy, but
far from impossible.
For High Country Soaring's operations on Ely, Nevada's runway 18/36,
gliders are staged alongside the overrun and taxiways for launch and
pulled into place with golf carts. It worked very well. Landings had
you stopping at the mid-field taxiway, and being whisked off by the
crew.
Jim

Adirondack Soaring flys out of Saratoga County Airport in Saratoga
Springs, New York with another Soaring Club and a heavy amount
corporate jet traffic in the month of August. We use the same left hand
traffic pattern and are forced to land on the asphalt runway due to an
endangered species of butterfly that lives at the airfield. Things for
the most part work fine.


www.adirondacksoaring.com



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

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

Lasham, the largest gliding centre in the UK, shares the field with a
commercial jet maintenance facility. This means the runway is shared
with 707/727/767/Airbusses.

If you delve around on their site, http://www.lasham.org.uk/, you can
find more information.