Interesting Potential Traffic Conflict

[kyleb]

Had a surprise in the pattern yesterday. I was behind a Learjet on departure from an uncontrolled field. An AA-1 that had been doing touch and goes had just departed and the Lear didn't roll until the AA-1 was almost out of sight.

I waited to enter the runway until the Lear was beyond the airport boundary - I wasn't in a hurry and wanted to give both the fumes and the wake turbulence time to blow away from the runway.

So I launched, climbed at something between VX and VY, turned crosswind a quarter mile past the end of the runway while climbing through pattern altitude. Then the AA-1 announced he was turning downwind.

Whaa? I wasn't even looking for him. By all rights, he should have been at midfield on downwind. So I look over to my right and sure enough, there's an AA-1 ~1/2 mile at my 3 o'clock and low.

Just a surprise since I'd mentally assigned him as "no factor"...

 

[douglas393]

A testament for see and avoid, and proper radio use. Never let your guard down. Good work.

 

[BillTIZ]

I'll bet he knew that jet was behind him, and you were going to depart. Any chance he went farther out on xwind for spacing, and more time to climb to TPA, then returned on the 45 downwind entry at the beginning of the downwind and not mid field?

Also slow climbing AA-1, may not turn xwind until within 200-300 ft of TPA. That will extend him well beyond the departure end before turning.

Keep your eyes open, especially with a nose high climb blocking visibility.