Narrative:

I was not directly involved in a traffic conflict, but I did witness a hazardous situation which could have resulted in a near miss. I believe that other aircraft in the area did have a closer conflict. I was participating in a soaring contest south of midlothian, tx, along with 27 other gliders. We were flying south of the class B airspace near the edge of the mode C veil. During most of this week, the wind was blowing from the north and dallas love field was apparently using visual approachs landing to the north. Rather than keeping the air carrier aircraft in the class B airspace which was only 3 mi to the north, ATC routinely vectored heavy transport aircraft along the edge of, but outside, the class B airspace. This created a very hazardous situation for the soaring operation located just outside the class B airspace. During the week or so that I flew in the area I noticed a great deal of air traffic transiting the area, presumably circumnaving the class B airspace. While all aircraft are within legal rights to fly in the class east airspace in this area, I think it is dangerous and irresponsible to vector large transport aircraft which are obviously on an IFR clearance along the border outside of the class B airspace. I see no reason why they couldn't keep those type aircraft inside the class B airspace where they would be safe from traffic conflicts with VFR aircraft operating in an uncontrolled environment and possibly (as in my case) without a mode C transponder. Keeping heavy transport aircraft, and all IFR traffic for that matter, inside the class B airspace will increase the safety margin for all of us. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he may know one pilot who followed up after this event occurred. The aircraft in question were destined for love field and ATC was very aware of the glider activity. Supplemental information from acn 378140: there were 26 other gliders in close proximity to this and several other B737's, that transitioned the area. On the approach control frequency the pilot made the comment that he saw a 'whole slew of them.' this is a known glider area, and has been for 17 yrs. The leaders of the gliderport have tried to be cooperative with TRACON, yet this remains a very dangerous situation. Others were only a few hundred ft horizontally from this and other B737's that day. It is only a matter of time before we have a serious accident with an air carrier or GA aircraft. Again, they are outside class B airspace. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he did follow up on this problem with FSDO office who directed him to TRACON. He then followed up with his report to ASRS. There was a contest going on at this time and there were probably 26 gliders in the air all within 2 mi of the acrs transiting the area. This glider operation has been growing with probably 200 members now and there are about 60-65 gliders based at TA-11 airport. Even on a regular basis when there is no contest there may be 20-25 gliders in the air at a given time. The problem will not be going away and reporter feels there will be an accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GLIDER PLT RPTS REGARDING PROX OF ACR TFC OUTSIDE BUT NEAR CLASS B AIRSPACE. GLIDER CONTEST IN PROGRESS WITH 25 OR MORE GLIDERS IN THE AIRSPACE. ATC WAS AWARE OF THE EVENT TAKING PLACE.

Narrative: I WAS NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN A TFC CONFLICT, BUT I DID WITNESS A HAZARDOUS SIT WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A NEAR MISS. I BELIEVE THAT OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA DID HAVE A CLOSER CONFLICT. I WAS PARTICIPATING IN A SOARING CONTEST S OF MIDLOTHIAN, TX, ALONG WITH 27 OTHER GLIDERS. WE WERE FLYING S OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE NEAR THE EDGE OF THE MODE C VEIL. DURING MOST OF THIS WK, THE WIND WAS BLOWING FROM THE N AND DALLAS LOVE FIELD WAS APPARENTLY USING VISUAL APCHS LNDG TO THE N. RATHER THAN KEEPING THE ACR ACFT IN THE CLASS B AIRSPACE WHICH WAS ONLY 3 MI TO THE N, ATC ROUTINELY VECTORED HVY TRANSPORT ACFT ALONG THE EDGE OF, BUT OUTSIDE, THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. THIS CREATED A VERY HAZARDOUS SIT FOR THE SOARING OP LOCATED JUST OUTSIDE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. DURING THE WK OR SO THAT I FLEW IN THE AREA I NOTICED A GREAT DEAL OF AIR TFC TRANSITING THE AREA, PRESUMABLY CIRCUMNAVING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. WHILE ALL ACFT ARE WITHIN LEGAL RIGHTS TO FLY IN THE CLASS E AIRSPACE IN THIS AREA, I THINK IT IS DANGEROUS AND IRRESPONSIBLE TO VECTOR LARGE TRANSPORT ACFT WHICH ARE OBVIOUSLY ON AN IFR CLRNC ALONG THE BORDER OUTSIDE OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I SEE NO REASON WHY THEY COULDN'T KEEP THOSE TYPE ACFT INSIDE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE WHERE THEY WOULD BE SAFE FROM TFC CONFLICTS WITH VFR ACFT OPERATING IN AN UNCTLED ENVIRONMENT AND POSSIBLY (AS IN MY CASE) WITHOUT A MODE C XPONDER. KEEPING HVY TRANSPORT ACFT, AND ALL IFR TFC FOR THAT MATTER, INSIDE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE WILL INCREASE THE SAFETY MARGIN FOR ALL OF US. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE MAY KNOW ONE PLT WHO FOLLOWED UP AFTER THIS EVENT OCCURRED. THE ACFT IN QUESTION WERE DESTINED FOR LOVE FIELD AND ATC WAS VERY AWARE OF THE GLIDER ACTIVITY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 378140: THERE WERE 26 OTHER GLIDERS IN CLOSE PROX TO THIS AND SEVERAL OTHER B737'S, THAT TRANSITIONED THE AREA. ON THE APCH CTL FREQ THE PLT MADE THE COMMENT THAT HE SAW A 'WHOLE SLEW OF THEM.' THIS IS A KNOWN GLIDER AREA, AND HAS BEEN FOR 17 YRS. THE LEADERS OF THE GLIDERPORT HAVE TRIED TO BE COOPERATIVE WITH TRACON, YET THIS REMAINS A VERY DANGEROUS SIT. OTHERS WERE ONLY A FEW HUNDRED FT HORIZLY FROM THIS AND OTHER B737'S THAT DAY. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE WE HAVE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WITH AN ACR OR GA ACFT. AGAIN, THEY ARE OUTSIDE CLASS B AIRSPACE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE DID FOLLOW UP ON THIS PROB WITH FSDO OFFICE WHO DIRECTED HIM TO TRACON. HE THEN FOLLOWED UP WITH HIS RPT TO ASRS. THERE WAS A CONTEST GOING ON AT THIS TIME AND THERE WERE PROBABLY 26 GLIDERS IN THE AIR ALL WITHIN 2 MI OF THE ACRS TRANSITING THE AREA. THIS GLIDER OP HAS BEEN GROWING WITH PROBABLY 200 MEMBERS NOW AND THERE ARE ABOUT 60-65 GLIDERS BASED AT TA-11 ARPT. EVEN ON A REGULAR BASIS WHEN THERE IS NO CONTEST THERE MAY BE 20-25 GLIDERS IN THE AIR AT A GIVEN TIME. THE PROB WILL NOT BE GOING AWAY AND RPTR FEELS THERE WILL BE AN ACCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.