Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Airport; Procedure; Human Factors
I was arriving from the south and turned onto a 45 degree entry for the standard left downwind for runway 25 at 1000 FT AGL. There is a very active glider operation (school and club) at the airport and they were out in droves today. Powered aircraft were consistently using 25 for takeoff and landing. Wind was reported as calm by the automated Unicom. There is a grass parallel runway that the gliders use for launch and recovery that is not charted; but is mentioned in the [chart supplement]. It is about 300 FT or so south of the paved 7-25 and of irregular width; being widest at runway 7. The gliders are stored near the end of the grass runway 25. Many of the training gliders are NORDO; but the club gliders have radios. I was calling entering left downwind for 25 and a club glider called close-in lower altitude left downwind entry for the grass runway 7. We both said we had each-other in sight. The glider stated that he was heading for the grass and he would not be a factor. As I turned downwind to base; another glider called turning downwind from over the airport for the grass runway 25. With the minimal space needed to land the gliders; I have heard this occur at this field before. As I turned base; the other opposite direction glider reported on base to final; though the transmission was partially blocked by someone keying the automated Unicom on the CTAF frequency. In addition; the tow-plane was running a high; steep pattern to the grass runway 7 behind that glider. He stated he had me in sight and that he would not be a factor. Being familiar with the tow-pilot; I know he is good and if he say not a factor; he is pretty on the ball. I could see the tow-plane on a high close in left downwind for the grass 7; the first glider was now on final for the grass at 7; and the other glider was in a close in downwind for 25 a bit ahead of me when I was on final. Although I had communicated with the glider landing on the grass 7; and the tow pilot; I was getting uncomfortable with the density of opposite direction traffic to the south parallel grass runway displaced only 300 FT from the paved runway. I thought about going around; but was concerned about popping up in front of the tow-plane as he turned base when I deviated right during the go-around; so elected to continue. I did not want to deviate left during go-around due to the other opposite direction gliders on final to grass 7 and downwind to grass 25. I continued on final and on short final to the asphalt 25; I could see the first glider on short final to the grass on runway 7; displaced 300 FT to the south and roughly 4000 FT ahead. I thought the glider would be down and stopped and I could turn off of 25 to the right parallel taxiway before reaching abeam his stopping point. Once again; I should have just hit the power and went around and deviated around the tow plane. Instead I continued to land. I touched down; rolled out; and saw the first glider was landing long on the grass 7 to get back to his aerial tow origination point so that he did not need a tug to pull him back there. This is pretty standard for the gliders; I realized in retrospect. We crossed abeam with about 300 FT clearance; each on our own opposite direction runways; each of us doing about 30 kts. I had clearly communicated with the glider; and we both knew out plans and positions; but as I became more uncomfortable with the idea of touching down opposite him on relatively closely spaced parallel runways; I should have just gone around. I could have maneuvered around the tow-plane's steep arrival and just let things settle down a bit before trying again. I have been to 1N7 a myriad of times before; and flown gliders there some awhile ago; but had never been quite in this situation with the density and proximity of opposite direction traffic to the grass runways before. I talked to another pilot at the airport who said this is pretty standard there; but after I landed I could definitely see how this could have turned out for the worse. The gliders have the right of way. It was incumbent on me to go-around if this was not shaping up to my satisfaction. It seems to be routine at this airport for opposite traffic on the paved and grass runways during calm wind conditions like this; and the other pilots involved seemed comfortable with this; but as I sensed a reduction in safety margins; I should have gone around and let it settle for awhile. I should not have relied on the fact that the glider and I were coordinating; or that the tow-plane would remain a non-factor. Once I realized a reduction in safety margins; and that I was doing something I was not comfortable with; I should have gone-around and come back when there was no opposite direction glider traffic.
General aviation pilot reported operating in close proximity near gliders and tow planes while landing at a popular glider port.