On Thursday, September 10, 2015 at 2:58:31 PM UTC-5, LBC wrote:
A question for all of you who fly various places around the US and world-

My question is regarding tow operations where launching/landing gliders use one runway end (likely, the end heading into the wind), and the landing towplane uses the opposing runway direction (likely, landing downwind.)

If you're at a club, field, or airport that routinely uses this type of operation-
1. Is it geography that drives this? (eg sloping terrain or obstacles)

At our strip (H07, east of St Louis), there is a potential midair collision problem on short final to 36 (which has resulted in the past in one midair and one near miss); this is completely eliminated by landing the towplanes on 18 when the winds allow. We prefer to launch on 36 due to clubhouse location, and will accept a small tailwind for takeoffs in that direction.

2. Is it efficiency of operation? (eg, the towplane lands downwind and comes to a stop near the launch point, without having to taxi much.)

Yes, it is considerably more efficient as well as a lot safer, IMO. Just got to be careful on some of those downwind landings!

3. Is it some other reason?

We have a wide field so that the takeoffs and glider landings take place on the west side of field, while the towplane landings take place on the east side (the "actual" runway. That, plus different sides for patterns (gliders on the west, power traffic on the east), provides almost complete deconfliction of towplane and glider traffic in the pattern.

4. In any case, do you have any procedures in place deconflict landing towplane and glider traffic, other than radio call awareness?

Towplane announces on radio, most gliders now have radios. Towplanes will hold if a potential conflict is developing. My preference is to fly a low (500') pattern in the towplane, to help see gliders opposite entering downwind a bit higher.

5. At what appx wind magnitude does the operation shift to all launches and landings all done in one direction - what is considered excessive tailwind for your towplane/operation?

Depends on tow pilot and glider pilot (student, type of glider, etc..) Usually around 5 knots steady will cause a change of runway ops.

6. Is using opposing landings a field policy, or does the operation let the towpilot/launch crew/glider pilots decide it on any given operating day ?

It's up to the tow pilot, but pretty much standard ops and expected.

7. Any other comments or experiences you'd like to relate on opposing-landing operations?

We have a parallel runway, glider-only operation, where it is the safest and most efficient way to operate, IMO. That may not be true in other situations. Common sense required!

Thanks for your insights.