Soarers May Get New Grass Landing Strip at Pangborn Memorial Airport

Aug. 18—WENATCHEE — Gliders and other aircraft may have a new — or maybe a rehabbed — place to touch down next year at Pangborn Memorial Airport.

The Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority is considering adding an alternate landing strip to the tune of around $565,391. It would be 1,200-by-75 feet of grass, somewhat perpendicular to the runway.

T-O Engineers earlier this year was hired to provide a cost estimate, after port officials met with Cascade Soaring Society members. The meeting included interest in rehabilitating an old runway into a grass landing strip.

The firm's estimate was presented at the Aug. 9 port meeting. No decision was made, but port staff and commissioners will have a budget retreat Nov. 3 to discuss exactly which projects have priority and which will need to be financed.

Gliders share the runway with motorized planes, which has occasionally delayed engine plane landings, said Jim Kuntz, port CEO. He said he didn't know how many times that occurred.

Gliders must be towed by hand off the runway and are susceptible to crosswinds.

"We've had to have (engine) aircraft ... abort a landing because that aircraft (glider) is still out there on the runway," said Trent Moyers, port director of airports. "It's part of the operation and everybody's aware of it ... that it can occur. But it's just one thing that could alleviate some potential for conflict or congestion."

If the grass strip was made, gliders and others, like tail wheel aircraft and light-sport aircraft would have a softer place to land, Kuntz said, and the location would provide better protection against crosswinds.

"I think it will be extremely popular with the aviation community at Pangborn," Kuntz said. "It's something that the Cascade Soaring club would absolutely love."

The Cascade Soaring Society has 25 members who use the strip. An unknown number of planes with a wheel at the rear also could use the strip, as it's difficult for those to land on asphalt when the wind blows from the side.

Additionally, the strip would not be a runway.

"A crosswind option is first and foremost about landing safety," Donald Flick, Cascade Soaring Society board member, wrote in an email. "Pilots can always decide whether to take off, but once a takeoff is made, the landing decision is not optional. Aircraft without engines have fewer options. Unforecast winds are an issue best addressed by a crosswind runway. The best weather for soaring is also the most likely to have significant unforecast winds."

Flick also wrote the airport had a crosswind landing area "until a few years ago." The landing area was grass, but was asphalted over to create a runway.

"This turf crosswind runway option actually restores the airport to a previous level of crosswind safety," he wrote.

A recent visit to the Cascade Soaring Society's hangar and operations showed a runway in disrepair. Cracks and weeds ran throughout the runway's asphalt.

Flick said he wasn't sure why the runway was allowed to deteriorate.

Other projects may trump the grass strip project.

"This project must compete with all of the other capital needs of the regional port authority," Kuntz said. "It's unknown at this time whether it gets funded or not. The challenge with this project is there will be no FAA money for it. So this is 100% coming out of taxpayers' property tax dollars to pay for it, since the airport's basically breaking even."

Several commissioners and staff recently took a trip that included looking at grass landing strips.

"I'll say seeing a grass alternative runway strip, I had a whole different idea of what that was and when I stepped on that — if you've ever been on a golf green, that's what it looks like, but the feel of it is just like, it's unbelievable. But it looks like a golf green," said Port Commissioner Alan Loebsack.

To complete the grass turf strip, some existing pavement must be removed, according to T-O's estimate. The ground must be excavated, graded, topsoiled, and hydroseeded. The site also will have irrigation and electricity hooked up.

The grass could take about $60,000 a year to maintain, as port officials estimated 10% of the total cost. The port would also have to purchase a lawnmower. T-O's estimate included a Kubota Zero-Turn Lawn Mower, which would cost $12,616, including sales tax.

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