ACCESS DENIED!

[Gary Boggs]

Thank you all for responding to my last post about glider operations
at other airports. I am refining that request. I am looking of any
written operational plans for glider operations at public airports
with a single runway. The airport owners at my airport are not
letting me stage our gliders at the take off ends of the runway. We
have more than enough space for safe staging areas at each end, and
have been staging near the take off end of 25 or 07 for decades,
without complaints, but now the owners want us to load and unload
passengers in the parking area and tow the loaded sailplane 3000ft to
the end of the runway. For a while they were saying they would not
allow us to use any wing runners past the hold short line! It's very
difficult when non-pilots try to make the rules! This is an airport
with very little traffic, especially when the wind is blowing, which
is when we do most of our soaring.

Please send me any written operational plans for staging gliders close
to the take off ends of airports with single runways

Thank you.

Gary Boggs
www.nwskysports.com

[[email protected]]

Perhaps the owners should take a ride, or better yet, help launch a
glider using the different procedures.

[Gary Boggs]

On May 15, 3:07*pm, wrote:
> Perhaps the owners should take a ride, or better yet, help launch a
> glider using the different procedures.

I thought this was a good idea so I invited them out for a ride, or at
least to see my operation. Non of them has ever seen any glider
operation. They wrote back that they don't need to take a ride or see
the operation to make rules!?

[[email protected]]

On May 16, 6:09 am, GARY BOGGS > wrote:
> On May 15, 3:07 pm, wrote:
>
> > Perhaps the owners should take a ride, or better yet, help launch a
> > glider using the different procedures.
>
> I thought this was a good idea so I invited them out for a ride, or at
> least to see my operation. Non of them has ever seen any glider
> operation. They wrote back that they don't need to take a ride or see
> the operation to make rules!?

Gary: You got N numbers on your glider, you're allowed to use a
public-use airport. (It is public use, isn't it? If not, you might
not have much hope of prevailing. My experience with the FAA is that
they will listen to reason when it comes to glider ground movement,
but I cannot speak for town fathers.) I think if you draft a glider
operational plan you are conceding to them and giving them the chance
to detail you to death. Fred

[[email protected]]

On May 15, 4:55*pm, GARY BOGGS > wrote:
> Thank you all for responding to my last post about glider operations
> at other airports. *I am refining that request. *I am looking of any
> written operational plans for glider operations at public airports
> with a single runway. *The airport owners at my airport are not
> letting me stage our gliders at the take off ends of the runway. *We
> have more than enough space for safe staging areas at each end, and
> have been staging near the take off end of 25 or 07 for decades,
> without complaints, but now the owners want us to load and unload
> passengers in the parking area and tow the loaded sailplane 3000ft to
> the end of the runway. *For a while they were saying they would not
> allow us to use any wing runners past the hold short line! *It's very
> difficult when non-pilots try to make the rules! *This is an airport
> with very little traffic, especially when the wind is blowing, which
> is when we do most of our soaring.
>
> Please send me any written operational plans for staging gliders close
> to the take off ends of airports with single runways
>
> Thank you.
>
> Gary Boggswww.nwskysports.com

Can't you get some help from the SSA? I'm sure if this management
group could hear of the many, many gliderports that stage along the
runway, they may begin to understand. How about requesting some of
your "powered" friends who fly there to speak on your behalf? Are
these managers even pilots? If so, there may be some influence to be
had from the powered community based there. These are probably things
you've thought of already, but I thought I'd throw them out there.
Seems a shame to have to deal with these "arbitrary" limitations.

[Tim Taylor]

On May 15, 3:55 pm, GARY BOGGS > wrote:
> Thank you all for responding to my last post about glider operations
> at other airports. I am refining that request. I am looking of any
> written operational plans for glider operations at public airports
> with a single runway. The airport owners at my airport are not
> letting me stage our gliders at the take off ends of the runway. We
> have more than enough space for safe staging areas at each end, and
> have been staging near the take off end of 25 or 07 for decades,
> without complaints, but now the owners want us to load and unload
> passengers in the parking area and tow the loaded sailplane 3000ft to
> the end of the runway. For a while they were saying they would not
> allow us to use any wing runners past the hold short line! It's very
> difficult when non-pilots try to make the rules! This is an airport
> with very little traffic, especially when the wind is blowing, which
> is when we do most of our soaring.
>
> Please send me any written operational plans for staging gliders close
> to the take off ends of airports with single runways
>
> Thank you.
>
> Gary Boggswww.nwskysports.com

Gary,

I would be very careful about submitting an operational plan for the
"approval" of the board. You may want to have your own SOP that you
refer to, but not leave them any option for approval. If they
complain ask if they approve operations for every aircraft that flies
from the field.

When our airport manager requested a review by the FAA to try and
exclude us from one of our runways he was in for a big surprise. The
FAA came back and said we were operating within the FAR's and that the
airport should actually give us more leeway.

If you have someone at the FSDO that understands gliders you may want
to get them involved. They can actually help to explain the FARs to
the airport board and explain that you are operating within them.

The board may own the airport, but if they took federal funds they are
bound to ensure that you can operate in a reasonable manner. Vehicles
to move aircraft, wing runners, staging aircraft, auto tow and winches
are all part of normal glider operations and can not be excluded with
out true cause. And cause is only usually that there is a very
significant amount of traffic that is impacted (i.e. continuous SEL
and Jets).

[Michael Ash]

GARY BOGGS > wrote:
> On May 15, 3:07?pm, wrote:
>> Perhaps the owners should take a ride, or better yet, help launch a
>> glider using the different procedures.
>
> I thought this was a good idea so I invited them out for a ride, or at
> least to see my operation. Non of them has ever seen any glider
> operation. They wrote back that they don't need to take a ride or see
> the operation to make rules!?

The correct answer to any offer of free aviation is *always* "yes".

If the rule-makers don't understand this then it's obvious they're not
qualified for the position!

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon