Narrative:

This report is a continued effort to have the sterling massachusetts airport (3b3) recognized as probably the most dangerous airport for transient arriving and departing aircraft. Sterling is controled by glider operations -- especially during wkends and holidays. Gliders are strewn about the landing and t-off area at all times. Most frequently, they are congregated at the approach end of runway 34 (or runway 16) on the grass. To get to the paved runway 34 departure via taxiing on the taxiway is practically impossible as there are a score of humans dangerously running across, back and forth and in all directions down there. In this writer's opinion, a NOTAM should be issued suggesting departing aircraft take off on the grass, in front of the tow and glider planes, once it has been established there is no immediate intent for them to take off. Then, immediately after takeoff, fly away from the runway at an angle, as gliders might be approaching to land at any time in any direction without control. On the day stated above, a fellow clearing the way for a tug and glider to take off (but not yet ready) ran in front of my propeller as if to say he (without a plane) had the runway. I waited until they tied the glider and subsequently they took off. I made a sweep of the base leg and final, made the takeoff announcement on 122.9 and 122.75 as people frequently use that frequency there too, then took off following the C182 tug with glider in tow. Then, an interesting thing happened. I became caught in what appeared to be the C182 tug wake turbulence of tip vortex. For a moment, lateral control became difficult as it abruptly rolled me to the right, near the runway. At full power, I was quickly out of it, then decided to proceed at about a 45 degree angle departure from the runway, about 3/4 distance from the approach end. At this time, I noted the tug and glider also in a relatively low level turn to the right, off the departure end. As I was faster, I kept my plane low, while accelerating and remaining clear of the tug and glider. Again, there are no NOTAMS at the FSS in bangor about what is going on there -- no recommended pattern or ground taxi NOTAMS (there has been a NOTAM about 'tower light' outage (for nights?). In the AOPA airport directory, there is a note that gliders use a right pattern, while pwred planes are to use a normal left pattern (pwred for landing, I assume). A mention of intense instructional and soaring flts is also mentioned (assuming one uses this directory). Contrary to this, one will find gliders coming in from right and left patterns and tugs and gliders using a left pattern after taking off. A while back, while on takeoff roll runway 34, a glider landed in front of me in the opposite direction on runway 16. Additionally, one time a fellow in a piper tomahawk, after announcing 'downwind for runway 34' landed nose-to-nose on runway 16 while I was rolling out on landing on runway 34. In my opinion, there should be an FAA NOTAM advising pilots 'something' of the dangers about people on the runway, unusual traffic pattern procedures. A published discrete frequency other than plane-to-plane multicom (as 122.9 and 122.75 are almost always active elsewhere, blocking advisories during busy times), then possibly a suggestion to minimize time in the traffic pattern and near the runway environment. I have been flying in and out of sterling for about 40 yrs, mostly visiting friends. The situation there is going to cause an accident and fatality. I know about it and minimize my exposure, but one day a transient will be caught up in the dangerous, uncontrolled situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPT OF CHAOS AT STERLING ARPT, MA. UNCTLED GLIDER OPS AND GND PERSONNEL.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS A CONTINUED EFFORT TO HAVE THE STERLING MASSACHUSETTS ARPT (3B3) RECOGNIZED AS PROBABLY THE MOST DANGEROUS ARPT FOR TRANSIENT ARRIVING AND DEPARTING ACFT. STERLING IS CTLED BY GLIDER OPS -- ESPECIALLY DURING WKENDS AND HOLIDAYS. GLIDERS ARE STREWN ABOUT THE LNDG AND T-OFF AREA AT ALL TIMES. MOST FREQUENTLY, THEY ARE CONGREGATED AT THE APCH END OF RWY 34 (OR RWY 16) ON THE GRASS. TO GET TO THE PAVED RWY 34 DEP VIA TAXIING ON THE TXWY IS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE AS THERE ARE A SCORE OF HUMANS DANGEROUSLY RUNNING ACROSS, BACK AND FORTH AND IN ALL DIRECTIONS DOWN THERE. IN THIS WRITER'S OPINION, A NOTAM SHOULD BE ISSUED SUGGESTING DEPARTING ACFT TAKE OFF ON THE GRASS, IN FRONT OF THE TOW AND GLIDER PLANES, ONCE IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE INTENT FOR THEM TO TAKE OFF. THEN, IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, FLY AWAY FROM THE RWY AT AN ANGLE, AS GLIDERS MIGHT BE APCHING TO LAND AT ANY TIME IN ANY DIRECTION WITHOUT CTL. ON THE DAY STATED ABOVE, A FELLOW CLRING THE WAY FOR A TUG AND GLIDER TO TAKE OFF (BUT NOT YET READY) RAN IN FRONT OF MY PROP AS IF TO SAY HE (WITHOUT A PLANE) HAD THE RWY. I WAITED UNTIL THEY TIED THE GLIDER AND SUBSEQUENTLY THEY TOOK OFF. I MADE A SWEEP OF THE BASE LEG AND FINAL, MADE THE TKOF ANNOUNCEMENT ON 122.9 AND 122.75 AS PEOPLE FREQUENTLY USE THAT FREQ THERE TOO, THEN TOOK OFF FOLLOWING THE C182 TUG WITH GLIDER IN TOW. THEN, AN INTERESTING THING HAPPENED. I BECAME CAUGHT IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE C182 TUG WAKE TURB OF TIP VORTEX. FOR A MOMENT, LATERAL CTL BECAME DIFFICULT AS IT ABRUPTLY ROLLED ME TO THE R, NEAR THE RWY. AT FULL PWR, I WAS QUICKLY OUT OF IT, THEN DECIDED TO PROCEED AT ABOUT A 45 DEG ANGLE DEP FROM THE RWY, ABOUT 3/4 DISTANCE FROM THE APCH END. AT THIS TIME, I NOTED THE TUG AND GLIDER ALSO IN A RELATIVELY LOW LEVEL TURN TO THE R, OFF THE DEP END. AS I WAS FASTER, I KEPT MY PLANE LOW, WHILE ACCELERATING AND REMAINING CLR OF THE TUG AND GLIDER. AGAIN, THERE ARE NO NOTAMS AT THE FSS IN BANGOR ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON THERE -- NO RECOMMENDED PATTERN OR GND TAXI NOTAMS (THERE HAS BEEN A NOTAM ABOUT 'TWR LIGHT' OUTAGE (FOR NIGHTS?). IN THE AOPA ARPT DIRECTORY, THERE IS A NOTE THAT GLIDERS USE A R PATTERN, WHILE PWRED PLANES ARE TO USE A NORMAL L PATTERN (PWRED FOR LNDG, I ASSUME). A MENTION OF INTENSE INSTRUCTIONAL AND SOARING FLTS IS ALSO MENTIONED (ASSUMING ONE USES THIS DIRECTORY). CONTRARY TO THIS, ONE WILL FIND GLIDERS COMING IN FROM R AND L PATTERNS AND TUGS AND GLIDERS USING A L PATTERN AFTER TAKING OFF. A WHILE BACK, WHILE ON TKOF ROLL RWY 34, A GLIDER LANDED IN FRONT OF ME IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON RWY 16. ADDITIONALLY, ONE TIME A FELLOW IN A PIPER TOMAHAWK, AFTER ANNOUNCING 'DOWNWIND FOR RWY 34' LANDED NOSE-TO-NOSE ON RWY 16 WHILE I WAS ROLLING OUT ON LNDG ON RWY 34. IN MY OPINION, THERE SHOULD BE AN FAA NOTAM ADVISING PLTS 'SOMETHING' OF THE DANGERS ABOUT PEOPLE ON THE RWY, UNUSUAL TFC PATTERN PROCS. A PUBLISHED DISCRETE FREQ OTHER THAN PLANE-TO-PLANE MULTICOM (AS 122.9 AND 122.75 ARE ALMOST ALWAYS ACTIVE ELSEWHERE, BLOCKING ADVISORIES DURING BUSY TIMES), THEN POSSIBLY A SUGGESTION TO MINIMIZE TIME IN THE TFC PATTERN AND NEAR THE RWY ENVIRONMENT. I HAVE BEEN FLYING IN AND OUT OF STERLING FOR ABOUT 40 YRS, MOSTLY VISITING FRIENDS. THE SIT THERE IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND FATALITY. I KNOW ABOUT IT AND MINIMIZE MY EXPOSURE, BUT ONE DAY A TRANSIENT WILL BE CAUGHT UP IN THE DANGEROUS, UNCTLED SIT.

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.