Runway Environment and Use

[Don Grillo]

Hello Sky Soaring Instructors,

I would like to open a conversation about our runway layout and how we stage, grid and move a/c around the airfield. Currently and how it’s been done for years is after an aircraft has landed they usually try to maneuver the glider off the runway and to the north side of the field to clear the runway. Our CFI’s train this into all students and members, and it is practiced by all.  We need to ask ourselves if we are doing the right thing by teaching this.  Our Policies and Procedures Manual says this;

• Stop straight ahead near the runway edge, North side preferred, as soon as possible.
• When landing on runway 27, stop before passing a line extending across the runway from the fuel tank.
• If you cannot stop before the fuel tank, turn left away from the hanger and parked aircraft.
• Move the glider off the active runway as soon as possible.

We have seen on numerous occasions where pilots have landed on rwy 27 with a high amount of energy, depart the runway on the north side only to come within feet of another glider or the hangar.

We have also had a standing policy of using the fuel tank as the stop line.  I have noticed over the years that the stop line seems to keep moving west with many gliders rolling well past the fuel tank.

• Topics for discussion:
• Moving the stop line to the runway threshold.
• Designating taxiway, staging, gridding, towplane and run-a-way areas of our field.
• Retraining our CFI’s to teach our members to only taxi/roll the glider to the north side of the runway when a low amount of energy is achieved (for example: at a fast walk speed).

See the picture below. (If the picture does not show in your email, please visit the skysoaring.com website Message Forum, under Flight Instructors forum.)

Regards, Don Grillo, FCC.

[Don Grillo]

Hello SSI Instructors,

Since their has been no feedback on the proposals I made, I am assuming that everyone is in agreement about:

• Moving the rwy 27 stop line from the fuel tank to the runway threshold markings.
• Designating taxiway, staging, gridding, towplane and run-a-way areas of our field.
• Retraining our CFI’s to teach our members to only taxi/roll the glider to the north side of the runway when a low amount of energy is achieved (for example: at a fast walk speed).

I will make the changes in the Policies and Procedures Manual on page nine and run it by the BOD for approval.

Sincerely,

Don Grillo
FCC

[Larry Kase]

I sent this reply Wednesday,but it didn’t go out.
On the landing roll out, the safest time to deviate from the centerline is when firm directional control is available. At a brisk walk directional control has already been lost. A good technique is to move to the side while above 20 k at a shallow angle to the runway, parallel the runway. The inertia of the glider will keep it away from the flight line after directional control is lost. If a direction change is being made during the lower speed when directional control is lost the inertia of the tail will take the student into the flightline. That happened at SSI. The student broke the canopy with his forehead.
<div>The high energy landings are likely caused by inability to fly to a aimpoint.</div>
<div>Larry Kase</div>

[Geoff Weck]

Hi Don,I agree that we need to change the way we stage/grid gliders so that we have someplace for run away landing gliders to go.  Several years ago Dale Watkins came up with a solution that was never implemented.  We tried it and it seemed to work.  Basically, a glider was not gridded until ready for tow which left plenty of overrun space for someone landing really long.  Moving the “beer” line to the runway end would be an improvement as well but may not be far enough east versus the gas tank.The best solution to this would simply be to eliminate out and back operations.  Geoff

[Larry Kase]

On the landing roll out, the safest time to deviate from the centerline is when firm directional control is available. At a brisk walk directional control has already been lost. A good technique is to move to the side while above 20 k at a shallow angle to the runway, parallel the runway. The inertia of the glider will keep it away from the flight line after directional control is lost. If a direction change is being made during the lower speed when directional control is lost the inertia of the tail will take the student into the flightline. That happened at SSI. The student broke the canopy with his forehead. The high energy landings are likely caused by inability to fly to a aimpoint. 

Larry Kase 

Sent from my iPad

[Dennis Burke]

I’m not an SSI instructor, but did have a comment about Landing Ops when a day’s staff level is minimal. Often a glider lands, and has not cleared RW to north edge ( low-energy ldg), and a Golf Cart & staff is not out there to help exit ASAP for other traffic in pattern.I was wondering if 1 golf cart should be kept close to the new roll-stop area before the End markers, …especially for 27 ldgs. If the pilot is alone, is that pilot allowed to move his/her glider off the RW by themselves?

[Gary Palumbo]

Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I think your ideas are good 

Sent from my iPhone

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