N747JB
Final Approach
I had my son fly up and pick me up at Cherokee County yesterday, I dropped the 425 off to fix a fuel leak. The easiest runway to take off from would have been 5, but the local traffic had been using 23 so he taxied across and down to 23 for takeoff. He did his run up and we both looked for traffic, announced he was departing 23 and we began our take off roll. About the time we got to rotation speed, he spots an airplane on final for 5! He looks at me and I tell him to keep going and turn right after take off to avoid the traffic. They were about a mile from the runway, so not an up close and personal situation, but it spooked him a bit. I held my tongue, I really wanted to blast the CAP pilot, but I didn't want to be the pattern Nazi. Then the CAP pilot asked the Unicom for a radio check. I responded that the first call we heard was after we had lifted off and turned to avoid him. I don't know why I thought CAP would be better about using the radio?
It was a good see and avoid lesson for my son and it all worked out fine.
It was a good see and avoid lesson for my son and it all worked out fine.