Originally Posted by
Hueymeister
Driving down the M40 toward London on Sunday, looked toward a glider tug and glider, just launching on the easterly runway, saw a light single (PA28?) converging on similar headings on take -off, they nearly hit, glider broke up and left, PA28 dove and turned underneath.
..nearly crashed gawping at it...any news?
I was at the airfield on Sunday and didn't see or hear about anything unusual happening. The Northerly wind meant that Runway 35 (grass) was in operation for the power traffic with gliders launching and landing parallel, as is the normal modus operandi. Occasional power traffic that required the use of the hard runway (24/06) was accomodated by Air Traffic who liaised with the gliding operation on each occasion. Again, something that's not uncommon and is very well handled by both sides.
In simple terms, the normal procedure when gliding and power traffic are both operating is for the airfield to effectively split into two, with gliders staying on one side and power on the other. So, in the case when 35 is in use, glider and tug combination take off and once at a safe height, turn left, whilst power traffic takes off and continues either straight ahead or turn right (both tug and power traffic being subject to noise abatement procedures). If the glider/tug combi was on the initial climbout then there's likely to be some low level turbulence which might make the tug or glider appear to the uninitiated to 'dive'. I suppose it's possible that the PA28 was doing some sort of EFATO exercise that would cause it to appear to 'dive' too. It's exceedingly unlikely however that either traffic would cross above or below each others path unless there was a comfortable vertical margin.
In summary, for those who aren't used to seeing parallel takeoffs and landings it may well appear that the traffic is converging - an effect probably excacerbated when you should be looking the road ahead instead of staring skywards! Next time pop into the airfield and come and watch (even better, pop into the gliding clubhouse, say hello and book yourself a flight to experience it at first hand) :-)