I’m a licensed pilot for single-engine land. Today I visited an airport where they have a lot of gliders, was talking to some of the folks there, and had a major WTF? moment.
I asked some of the pilots why I never hear them make radio calls when I’m flying around - a lot (but not all) of the gliders have radios in them.
They said they did talk on the radio - on the glider frequency.
Huh? Glider frequency?
I asked why don’t they transmit on the common frequency. Wouldn’t they want all the air traffic in the area to know where they are? They said they didn’t want to jam up the airwaves. Fine, I said. But when you are entering the pattern for landing, wouldn’t you THEN want to advise the local traffic on the CTAF? After all, we’re using the same airspace.
At this point they got huffy and started complaining about how we power pilots should stay away from airports with known glider traffic, that gliders have the right of way (true), and that even power pilots don’t have to make radio calls at non-towered airports (also true).
I dropped it, but was left scratching my head about this. In God’s name, why wouldn’t you want to let other traffic know where you are, be you in a glider or a freakin’ 747?!
Opinions, stories of experience, and exasperated statements may now ensue…
Well, I’ve flown both powered aircraft (Boeing Stearman) and sailplanes (schweitzer 2-22) but I’m probably the wrong person to ask, 'cuz I never had a radio in either of them. I just stayed out of controlled airspace, and spent more time looking at the sky for traffic. Our sailplane (not a glider, dammit!) group never had trouble in this regards, and the FBO’s we worked with never had any problems with it.
I, too, am a SEL pilot. I would think it best to transmit intentions on CTAF, even if not required to do so. It’s just the safer thing to do. But most of my flying is at controlled airports (Class C & D), and I’ve never actually been in the pattern at an uncontrolled airport with traffic that wasn’t reporting their position.
I am a helicopter pilot and we have our own frequency. Since helicopters tend to fly in certain areas (e.g., along freeways) having our own frequency lets us give position reports without tying up an ATC frequency. Gliders probably do the same thing. At an out-of-control – I mean “uncontrolled” – airport, radio contact is not required so the glider pilots probably just stick to the freq. they’re on.
I’m beginning to think I’m the only Doper pilot who flies at pilot-controlled airports (as opposed to tower-controlled).
At my “home field” we have a half dozen helicopters. They always announce their commings and goings on CTAF, just like the fixed-wing.
As for the OP - around here, I don’t know of any airports that are strictly glider, although I do know of several with glider clubs. Everything around here seems to be mixed traffic. Strikes me as just a little bit dumb to NOT announce on CTAF at non-towered airports if you possibly can. If the ultralights and balloons can be bothered to carry a hand-held and learn to use it, and the skydivers have the jump pilot broadcast “look out below”, I don’t see why the gliders would have a problem with using radios mounted inside their aircraft. Telling the other traffic who you are, where you are, and your intentions isn’t “jamming the frequencies”, it’s using the radio for what it was intended to be used for.
You’re not alone Broomstick - I too fly out of a non-towered airport. I do go into towered fields a lot, and have no fears of talking to ATC, but I really like my home airport. It’s great to just fire it up, taxi 100 feet, and take off. No paying good money for sitting around waiting for clearances.
That said, I am fanatical about making radio calls at non-towered airports. It takes nearly no effort, and could easily save lives. To me, it’s one of the biggest no-brainers in the world, which is why the glider pilots baffled me.
Geez, I think I just hijacked my own thread. Better squawk 7500!