Narrative:

My direction of arrival favored upwind entry into runway 30 at 1300 ft MSL pattern altitude. Upon entering, I noticed a glider flying over the airport, at the same altitude, in the opposite direction. To avoid the glider, I banked to the right and descended to 1000 ft. Once the glider pilot was at my 9 O'clock position, I initiated a climb back up to pattern altitude. At that moment I heard a tow aircraft announce takeoff from the grass area parallel to runway 30 (right side). I saw that it was towing a second glider. After flying the remaining half of the upwind leg, and not quite at pattern altitude, I made a radio announcement and entered the crosswind leg over the departure end of runway 30, again looking left and down for the tow/glider pair. At a point over the departure end, I flew right in front of the pair, close enough to see the rope. The tow plane was in a steep climb and turning toward me. I continued the approach and landed without incident. My altitude was 1150 ft MSL. I made 7 radio announcements: 5 mi out, entering upwind leg, turning crosswind, turning downwind, turning base, turning final, and exiting runway. The tow plane made 2 announcements: initial takeoff and turning base to final to land on the grass. I had 1 wing strobes on, a tail strobe on, the taxi lights on. The tow plane had no lights/strobes on. There is an established glider operation at this airport for yrs and they always use the grass right of runway 30, regardless of which is the 'active' (runway 5/23 or runway 12/30). The gliders and the tow planes return to the airport on a right downwind to runway 30, turning inside and lower than the other traffic on a left base/final to runway 30. None of this is published in any FAA or commercial pilot document, however. The upwind entry, although not recommended by the FAA, is acceptable, depending on arrival direction. Its use at this airport makes compliance to noise abatement easier. No mention of gliders on the noise abatement plan either. After this experience, I will not fly the upwind leg of any runway at this airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN THE RPTING PLT OF A BEECH BE24 SIERRA AT THE DEP END OF THE LNDG RWY JUST TURNING XWIND AT 1150 FT, BELOW RECOMMENDED PATTERN ALT, AND A PIPER PA36, PAWNEE, TOWING A GLIDER, MAKING A STEEP CLBING TURN TOWARD THE RPTR. THERE WAS NO APPARENT EVASIVE ACTION AS EACH ACFT CONTINUED AS PLANNED.

Narrative: MY DIRECTION OF ARR FAVORED UPWIND ENTRY INTO RWY 30 AT 1300 FT MSL PATTERN ALT. UPON ENTERING, I NOTICED A GLIDER FLYING OVER THE ARPT, AT THE SAME ALT, IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. TO AVOID THE GLIDER, I BANKED TO THE R AND DSNDED TO 1000 FT. ONCE THE GLIDER PLT WAS AT MY 9 O'CLOCK POS, I INITIATED A CLB BACK UP TO PATTERN ALT. AT THAT MOMENT I HEARD A TOW ACFT ANNOUNCE TKOF FROM THE GRASS AREA PARALLEL TO RWY 30 (R SIDE). I SAW THAT IT WAS TOWING A SECOND GLIDER. AFTER FLYING THE REMAINING HALF OF THE UPWIND LEG, AND NOT QUITE AT PATTERN ALT, I MADE A RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT AND ENTERED THE XWIND LEG OVER THE DEP END OF RWY 30, AGAIN LOOKING L AND DOWN FOR THE TOW/GLIDER PAIR. AT A POINT OVER THE DEP END, I FLEW RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PAIR, CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE THE ROPE. THE TOW PLANE WAS IN A STEEP CLB AND TURNING TOWARD ME. I CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY ALT WAS 1150 FT MSL. I MADE 7 RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS: 5 MI OUT, ENTERING UPWIND LEG, TURNING XWIND, TURNING DOWNWIND, TURNING BASE, TURNING FINAL, AND EXITING RWY. THE TOW PLANE MADE 2 ANNOUNCEMENTS: INITIAL TKOF AND TURNING BASE TO FINAL TO LAND ON THE GRASS. I HAD 1 WING STROBES ON, A TAIL STROBE ON, THE TAXI LIGHTS ON. THE TOW PLANE HAD NO LIGHTS/STROBES ON. THERE IS AN ESTABLISHED GLIDER OP AT THIS ARPT FOR YRS AND THEY ALWAYS USE THE GRASS R OF RWY 30, REGARDLESS OF WHICH IS THE 'ACTIVE' (RWY 5/23 OR RWY 12/30). THE GLIDERS AND THE TOW PLANES RETURN TO THE ARPT ON A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 30, TURNING INSIDE AND LOWER THAN THE OTHER TFC ON A L BASE/FINAL TO RWY 30. NONE OF THIS IS PUBLISHED IN ANY FAA OR COMMERCIAL PLT DOCUMENT, HOWEVER. THE UPWIND ENTRY, ALTHOUGH NOT RECOMMENDED BY THE FAA, IS ACCEPTABLE, DEPENDING ON ARR DIRECTION. ITS USE AT THIS ARPT MAKES COMPLIANCE TO NOISE ABATEMENT EASIER. NO MENTION OF GLIDERS ON THE NOISE ABATEMENT PLAN EITHER. AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE, I WILL NOT FLY THE UPWIND LEG OF ANY RWY AT THIS ARPT.

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.