Utah Soaring Association Nephi Municipal Airport

We are a gliding club based in Utah and operate from several sites including Logan Airport, Morgan County Airport, Heber Airport and Hephi Airport.

Services

The Utah Soaring Association is an 80+ member club operating out of four airports:
Heber City Airport (Russ McDonald Field)
Morgan County Airport
Logan Cache Airport
Nephi Municipal Airport

We are an active flying club & social organization dedicated to facilitating gliders for club member personal use & glider flight instruction for both new & transition power pilots.

SAILPLANES
The Association currently has six sailplanes, three Grob 103 Twin Astir, two Grob 103 Twin II & a Pilatus B4-PC11. See Club Ships

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
Membership requires an initial fee, yearly dues, & volunteer service.

BENEFITS
The benefits of joining are many, but a few include: inexpensive flying, access to well-maintained, good performance aircraft for either learning to fly gliders or for your own soaring enjoyment, great friendships, & the ideal soaring conditions of Utah.

J.Randy McKnight Nephi Municipal Airport, U14, is located 3 miles NW of Nephi, UT (39.74°N/111.87°W) with a field elevation of 5,022’. A public use airport owned & operated by the city of Nephi, with additional funding & support from the Utah Division of Aeronautics (UDoT), & the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Pegasus Aviation Group is the on field FBO who operates & maintains the self service fuel pumps (100LL & JetA), also providing gyroplane sales, service, & flight training. Skydive the Wasatch operates a drop zone seasonally from the Nephi airport providing tandem tourist jumps & skydiving instruction. The Utah Soaring Association (USA) keeps a glider & all the support equipment necessary at the Nephi airport, for club member usage & flight instruction. The USA also manages a tow plane, providing glider tows for the club gliders & privately owned gliders (contact the Nephi glider steward for tow plane availability & scheduling). A glider winch owned by the USA is also stored & used periodically at Nephi, & at other locations as well.

For those pilots & passengers who have been flying in & out of the Nephi airport over the past decade or so have witnessed the airport’s slow but steady growth in airport infrastructure, air traffic & flight activities. Improved & added taxiways, the construction of additional ramp & tie down areas, & the construction several new hangars have enhanced the usability the airport, & increased its popularity amongst Utah’s aviators. In addition Nephi airport traffic can & does include flight instruction from the many flight schools in northern Utah, with student pilots practicing patterns, landings, take-offs, departures, & instrument approaches. There’s also a fair amount of transient & recreational flights taking advantage of Nephi’s “lowest in the valley” fuel prices, including an occasional corporate jet providing air transport services to clients. Periodically, Utah’s agricultural & natural resource interests use the Nephi airport as a base for their aerial application projects. During the fire season, the Nephi airport can become a base of operations for US Forest Service’s aerial fire suppression teams. Check Notams! Nephi airport has a wide variety of different types aircraft operating in & out of the airport & surrounding airspace. Vigilance, cooperation, & attention to detail is required by all pilots, to insure safe flight operations for all users.

Birds

Caution, for extensive bird activity in the vicinity of the airport! Gulls, raptors, ravens, crows, magpies, turkey vultures, sandhill cranes, & waterfowl to name a few, are present in & around the airport. Some can be quite large, use caution!

Facilities

Airport access is through an electronic code secured main entry gate located approximately midfield. Please use caution when driving on the ramps & taxiways, they are active!! There’s also a pedestrian gate located between the Pegasus Aviation hangar & the mobile office trailer. (For gate access codes contact your instructor or airport glider steward.)

Nephi is located on the Las Vegas VFR sectional chart which can be downloaded from the FAA’s Sectional Aeronautical Chart page:

https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/productcatalog/vfrcharts/sectional/

(An internet search of “Nephi Municipal Airport” or “U14” will provide links to AirNav or SkyVector websites which also provide current airport information.)

Restrooms are located in the small building on the edge of the ramp just north of “Quonset hut” hangar.

Oxygen is available from the USA supplied oxygen tanks stored in the club area of the city’s hangar.

For pilots requiring water for ballast, there’s a large tank located on the western edge of the north ramp (see map). Pilots must provide their own hoses. For more information & assistance contact the airport glider steward.

As a side note; Nephi has an awesome system for adding water ballast to about 30 gliders simultaneously. The brainchild of Bruno Vassel & Ron Gleason, the tank was installed primarily for contests, along with a pump, several thousand feet of buried pipe, & 30 hydrants spaced along the full length of taxiway A’s glider tie down spots. With complementary trenching of the ditch by the City of Nephi, & the labour of club members, it provides contestants with a convenient method of adding water ballast to their ships.

No food is available for purchase at the airport, but restaurants & groceries are available in Nephi, 3 miles to the east of the airport.

Hotels & RV parks are also available in Nephi, no accommodations or showers are available at the airport.

Nephi’s AWOS-3 118.275 (435) 623-1397

Communications

Nephi Municipal Airport is an uncontrolled field. The Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) is 123.075. The use of proper radio technique & phraseology is always recommended when communicating as it enhances safety. Consult the Airman’s Information Manual (AIM) chapter 4, sections 2-1 through 2-14 for a review of recommended radio usage. For aero tows, announce to the tow plane that the glider is ready, example: “Glider tow one seven victor, glider eight five whiskey, canopies closed & locked, spoilers closed & locked, ready to take-off runway one seven.” For the tow, the tow plane pilot will handle communications for the duration of the tow. For winching operations the glider pilot should make an announcement of his or her intentions prior to launch as recommended by the USA’s “Winch Pre take-off Checklist” https://utahsoaring.org/Documents/2018%20USA%20Winch%20Final%20Pretakeoff%20Checklist.pdf

If manoeuvring for flight instruction or thermalling, periodic position reports are recommended especially when other aircraft are in the vicinity or transitioning through the airspace. Refer to the section “Landmarks & Position Reports” for more information. For air-to-air communications with other gliders & aircraft not pertaining to position & air safety & outside the airport operating area, please use the frequency 123.3. When landing, make your initial inbound call 3-4 miles out. Indicate your altitude, bearing & distance from the field or local landmarks, & your intentions. Make your second call when entering crosswind or on the 45 degrees to downwind. Make additional calls as needed.

Runways, Taxiways & Windsocks

Nephi Municipal Airport has one main paved runway; 17/35 is 6300’ in length & 100’ wide. Excellent condition, resurfaced in the spring 2017.The traffic pattern is designated left for both runways with a traffic pattern altitude (TPA) of 1000’ agl or 6000’ msl. The skydiving operation normally flies a high pattern on the east side the runway, the with glider ops using the west side on the runway (recommended pattern procedures will be discussed in more detail later).

There is also an unofficial parallel grass runway adjacent to the paved runway which is over 7000’ in length & more than 100’ wide. Used primarily for winching operations, tow plane landings during sailplane special events & in emergency rope break situations if there’s aircraft landing or departing the main runway. The north & south ends of the grass runway are fairly smooth & rougher toward the runway centre. Not recommended during periods of wet weather or soon after. Always check its condition before use. Use at your own risk!!!

There are two taxiways, A, which runs parallel to the runway & has an entrance to the runway at each the north & south ends of the runway. Taxiway B runs east to west perpendicular to the runway, connecting the runway, taxiway A, & the ramp. There’s also a newly installed taxiway which is undesignated & not currently charted, that extends from the north end of the ramp to taxiway A, providing easier access to the north ramp & fuel pumps.

There are two windsocks. The primary windsock in located in a segmented circle just north the ramp area & is clearly visible from the north end of the airport. While visible from the south end of the airport, making an accurate determination of its position is more difficult. A second windsock is located on the fence line on western edge of airport approximately 1000’ from the south end of the main runway. With it’s limited height above ground (about 6’), it’s accuracy has been questioned.

Tie Down Areas

The USA club glider is tied down on the northeast section of the ramp just past the city’s hangar. At present the city does not charge to tie down aircraft at the airport nor does it charge for glider trailer parking. There are tie spots for visiting gliders on the north paved ramp area. You must supply your own straps, & wing supports. Additional tie down spaces for gliders are available along the east side of taxiway A. These spots are primarily used during contests events. The USA rents a corner of the city’s hangar where the club stores the winch, golf cart, tow out gear, radios & other equipment. Contact the airport glider steward for tow plane availability, hangar access & assistance with tows out to the staging areas.

Staging & Towing

Towing operations are conducted with USA managed aircraft & tow pilots. While Nephi is not an especially busy airport, it can get very busy without notice. Best practices would be to spend as little time as possible occupying the runway before launching. Also avoid blocking the taxiways, stay with your glider, be prepared to push the glider aside to make way for arriving & departing powered aircraft. Stay alert & engaged, listen to the CTAF, announce your intentions prior to staging on the runway, use common sense & be courteous.

Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR’s) part §91.309 Towing: Gliders & unpowered ultralight vehicles. Section 5 states, “The pilots of the towing aircraft & the glider or unpowered ultralight vehicle have agreed upon a general course of action, including take-off & release signals, airspeeds, & emergency procedures for each pilot”. While face-to-face meetings may not always be possible, routine & consistent staging procedures will increase safety & fulfil the requirements of this regulation. Inform the tow pilot if you are heavy & requested towing speed.

The USA has a golf cart that can be utilized for the towing of gliders from the ramp to the staging area, personal vehicles can also be used. It is recommended to monitor the CTAF when operating vehicles on the airport surface & yield the right-of-way to aircraft. It is also recommended to place a rotating yellow hazard beacon light on top of the vehicle. The USA has several magnetic beacon lights available. After towing the glider close to the end of runway, please park vehicles to the east of the taxiways, insuring not to block runways, taxiways, & airport signage. It is also recommended that you leave the keys in your car & the doors unlocked so the vehicle can be moved if becomes necessary (also so we can retrieve you if you l& out).

Often is the case there are no ground support people or wing runners at Nephi. It is best to stage the glider on the grass on the west side of the runway, keeping the taxiway & runway clear. Be sure to announce your intentions & verify the approach course & pattern are clear before crossing the runway. The tow plane will normally be positioned on the grass on the west of the runway also. Get yourself & the glider pre-flighted, positive control checks done, parachutes on, radios & navigation equipment turned on, programmed & checked, seat cushions, belts & harnesses adjusted, O2 turned on & any other equipment ready to go before staging on the runway. The tow rope should also be laid out & inspected & release mechanism checked. When fully prepared & ready for launch, announce on the CTAF the staging of the glider on the runway, example: “Nephi area traffic, glider 85 whiskey, staging runway three five for glider operations, Nephi traffic.” Again, before moving the glider on to the runway, be sure the pattern & approach course are clear of landing traffic. Good etiquette would be to communicate with & give way to powered aircraft who are taxing to the runway for departure. Signal the tow pilot you’re moving your glider into position on to the runway, & the tow plane pilot will move the tow plane into position at the same time. Attach the tow rope to tow plane, then to your glider. Get in your glider & complete your before take-off checklist. Once the checklist is complete, inform the tow plane pilot to take up slack. Once the slack is removed from the rope, announce on the CTAF to the tow plane pilot you are ready for take-off. Include a waggle of your rudder as well.

If ground support people are available, staging can be done from the taxiway. The glider pilot & passengers should get seated & strapped in the glider. When ready, announce on the CTAF the staging of glider on the runway, & the ground support people will then move the glider into position on the runway, hook the tow rope up, signal the tow plane to remove the slack, & commence launching. The emphasis is on spending as little time on the runway as possible, but doing it in a manner that is consistent with safety.

When staging for instructional flights, it is more convenient after the first flight to stage from the 5000’ remaining sign using the same procedure detailed above (this gives about 1300’ available for the landing & rollout). After landing the instructor & student should immediately get out & push the glider off of the runway onto west side grass, if there’s traffic in pattern preparing to l&, traffic waiting to depart, or if the instructor plans on debriefing the student before the next flight. If the pattern is clear of approaching traffic, & no aircraft waiting to depart, & the instructor can make a reasonably quick turnaround consistent with safety, restaging the glider without pushing off the runway is acceptable. Remember stay alert & engaged, listen to the CTAF, announce your intentions prior to staging on the runway, use common sense & be courteous.

Premature Tow Termination

Runway length & tow plane performance normally allows for sufficient runway length for premature tow termination shortly after lift-off. If the runway is not a viable option, there are several other possibilities for landing.

When departing RWY 17, there’s a large field to the west perpendicular to the departure end of RWY 17. It normally has some irrigation equipment in it, but with the field’s width the equipment should be avoidable. For RWY 35, several fields exist north of the airport, watch for fences & irrigation equipment. The large fields to the east of airport can be inviting for emergency landings but several hazards exist including power lines along Airport Rd., tall crops (corn), irrigation equipment & frequently grazing livestock (see maps).

The skydivers are normally released upwind of the airport from approximately 15,000’ msl for a landing in the drop zone located approximately mid-field just west to the south ramp aircraft tie down area (see map). For this reason, premature tow terminations above 200’, all turns should be made to west to avoid flights over the drop zone area. It also allows for landing on the grass runway while avoiding crossing the main runway.

Tow Patterns & Operations

The normal tow pattern will be a straight out upwind departure & then a turn to west. For training & instructional flights the tow pilot will stay closer to the airport by turning downwind sooner. For soaring flights, a more direct route to the low hills & ridge west of airport will be made. On most soaring days house thermals can be found on the ridge in the vicinity of the pig farm, the radio antenna, &/or the dump (see map). On occasion, spots in valley between the airport & the ridge will be working instead, & tow pilot will alter the course to hopefully put you into the lift. Instructional & training flights are usually conducted in the an area between the airport & the ridge, & about 2 miles south of the airport extending approximately 2 miles north of the airport, from 6500’msl (1500’agl) to 8000’ msl (3000’agl). Instructional soaring flights will be conducted much the same way as recreational soaring flights.

Winch Launching

While winch launching of gliders has been around since the early days of glider flying, & used almost exclusively in many parts of the world, it is relatively new for most glider operations in the United States. The Utah Soaring Association purchased a used winch several years ago. With the hard work of a handful of dedicated club members who rebuilt & redesigned the winch into a highly functional glider launching machine. With a few training sessions from experienced operators the basics were learned. Over past few seasons, through trial & error (& fortunately no accidents or incidents) great progress has been made by all those involved in learning, developing & implementing a very viable, safe, cost effective & extremely fun alternative to the stndard aero tow method of launching gliders most of us are familiar with.

At present, winching operations are primarily conducted as a group effort organized by the USA. The grass runway adjacent & parallel to the main paved runway is utilized for launching the gliders. With a runway length of over 7000’, launches attaining close to 3000’ agl have been achieved, all in less than one minute & with about a quart of fuel consumed. Using the grass runway also allows for normal airport traffic operations to continue without interruption from the winching activities, & provides ample space to deal with premature tow termination. After normal release from the launch, the glider pilot turns to the west & either finds a thermal or performs manoeuvres in the flight training area west of the airport as mentioned above & shown on the map. The flight then continues with a normal pattern, approach & landing on the grass runway. While detailed information on winch launching is beyond the scope of this document, refer the club’s website for training materials & the scheduling of winching events. https://utahsoaring.org

Landmarks & Position Reports

The are several prominent landmarks in the area used for position reports & locating house thermals. For position reports state the local landmark, & your distance & bearing from it, & altitude (see maps).

The Ponds – Nephi’s sewage treatment evaporation ponds are the prominent rectangular & angled ponds about one nautical mile west of the airport. Used as IP point & announcing entry into the traffic pattern.

The Ridge – the prominent north to south running ridge, with a crest of about 6300’ to 6500’msl & 3.5nm west of the airport. Good consistent thermals can be found along the length of the ridge. Caution of the antenna tower (6,743’ msl) located on top of the ridge due west of the airport. Also use caution getting low on the west side of the ridge, several l& outs & retrieves have been made from the valley to the west (lots of sagebrush & rough terrain).

The Pig Farm – is the agricultural operation consisting of out buildings & livestock pens, located 3nm southwest of the airport, & just north of HWY 132 on the east side of the ridge. Consistently the best house thermal in the valley. On good days you can smell the lift.

The Dump – Nephi’s landfill, is located 4nm southwest of the airport, & about one nautical mile south of HWY 132, along the ridge. Also pretty consistent thermals originating from this area.

Mt. Nebo – the prominent peak 8nm northeast of airport. With its summit at 11,929’ Mt. Nebo is the highest peak in the Wasatch Mountain range. Often, late afternoon thermals can be found along the southwestern facing slopes & ridges. Ridge lift can also be found on days with adequate wind speed. Be cautious of downdrafts on the lee side of the summit ridges. Review your mountain flying techniques or fly with an instructor, if you unfamiliar with them. Lenticular clouds have also been observed above & downwind of peak, although the author has no knowledge of anyone wave soaring in the immediate vicinity.

Traffic Pattern

Both RWY 17 & RWY 35 are designated standard left traffic for airplanes. However, with the skydiving operation, & the skydivers descending over mid-field & landing in an area just off the west side of the south ramp, flights over mid-field should avoided. The jump plane pilot will make a several cautionary statements on the CTAF prior to releasing the skydivers, to “avoid flights over mid-field between 15,000’ & below for skydiving operations”. With most glider activity taking place to the west of airport, gliders normally fly a pattern on the west side of airport. Flying right traffic for RWY 17 & left traffic for RWY 35 & avoiding flights over mid-field. Cross country flights returning to airport from the east can fly a pattern from the east side of the airport.

Initial Pattern (IP) Entry Points

For landing RWY 17 an IP point on south edge of the “The Ponds” at between 6000’ & 6200′ msl, works well for both the main paved runway & for grass runway.

For landing on RWY 35 using an IP point a field’s length north of “The Ponds” at between 6000’ & 6200’ msl works well for both the main paved runway & the grass runway.

Landings at Nephi are fairly straightforward with prevailing winds frequently aligned with the runways. The main safety issue is watching out for & maintaining separation from other air traffic. With a wide variety of aircraft types utilizing the Nephi airport, using the concepts “see & avoid”, “situational awareness” & “sterile cockpit”, traffic conflicts can be minimized & avoided. Use extra vigilance for aircraft traffic on left base when you’re flying a right base pattern. Aircraft approaching each other straight ahead & at the same altitude can be very difficult to see. Also watch out for traffic flying practice instrument & straight in approaches.

While landing on the paved main runway, other hazards include “runway end identifier lights” when landing short or landing long & rolling off the end of runway. Also avoid the “runway edge identifier lights” when rolling off to the sides of runway. Hitting the lights can cause significant glider damage, increase the chances of a ground loop & pilot & passenger injury. Also to add insult-to-injury, the city will charge you a replacement fee for the damaged or destroyed airport equipment.

When landing on the grass, hazards include the “runway end identifier lights”, “distance remaining” signs, “papi” lights (RWY 35), a ditch along the western edge of the grass, & six foot high fences on both the north & south ends. Both ends of the runway are fairly smooth (for the first 2000’) with roughness increasing as you approach mid-field from both directions. While city periodically mows & drags the grass runway to smooth it out, small rocks (fist sized) can be dislodged, creating an additional hazards. Not recommended during periods of wet weather or soon after. Always check runway conditions before using. Use at your own risk!!!

The infield area between the main runway & taxiway A is not recommended for landing! Uneven & rough terrain along its entire length, & a large ramp like berm at taxiway B make it unsuitable for landings.

After landing, do not leave your glider unattended on the runway or taxiway. Promptly move your glider to the infield or off into the grass on the western edge, insuring the glider is completely clear of the runway. Also avoid blocking the centre of the grass runway as well. Be alert, use caution, monitor the CTAF, & announce your intentions, before operating vehicles on the runways & taxiways & while retrieving & towing you glider back to the ramp & tie down areas. Nephi Municipal airport is an active public use airport, be courteous & compliant to insure that the glider flying remains a welcomed activity at the airport.

Emergency Crosswind Runway

Strong thunderstorms can & do develop in the vicinity of the Nephi airport. Outflow from these storms can produce very strong crosswinds as these storms move across the valley. Wind direction can change quite rapidly over a short period of time. Use extra caution when these storms are forecast & have a plan. When the crosswind component exceeds the recommended limits for landing your glider, a short emergency landing area exists at the north end of airport, & has been used to execute safe landings. This area runs along the inside of fence line on the very north end of the airport property (see map). There are also fences on both the east & west sides of the airport which are difficult to see from the air, & extreme caution must be exercised to avoid hitting them. It is highly recommended to take a walk, & inspect the area before attempting a landing.

Directions to the Airport

From the north – take I-15 south to exit 228 for Nephi, UT-28 toward I-15 Business / N Main St. Turn right onto State Rte 41/UT-28 S. In .4 miles, turn right onto Old Hwy 91. At .4 miles turn left onto Country Dr. (before large propane tanks), drive west for 1.3 miles & turn left onto Airport Rd. In .7 miles the airport gate will be on the right.

From the south – take I-15 north to exit 222 for Nephi, UT-28 toward I-15 Business / S Main St. Turn left onto UT-28 N/S Main St. (signs for I-15 Business). In 2.1 miles turn left onto UT-132 W / W 100 N (signs for Delta). In 1.5 miles turn right onto Airport Rd. In 2 miles the airport gate will be on the left.

Gallery