Saturday, 6/2/07, I was leaving KOKM after a vista to an small airport 60
miles or so from my home base. Other than the usual VFR info, I'm not really
familiar with the airport. Just seconds before taking the active after my
run-up, I hear a pilot announce himself as inbound from an IFR reporting
point, with a signal strength and clarity that was absolute. Naturally I did
a 180 and took a very hard look up the flight path, so myself and my pax
could watch his approach. Nothing to be seen. I hesitated for a good two or
three minutes while watching for him, it was a very clear day. About the
time I was considering calling him, he declared a missed approach and his
intentions to go around. This time he included the runway number and I
realized he was approaching downwind. I turned back 180 and he was about
200' over the north end of the runway.

Granted, if he had included the runway number in his first call, as he
should have, his position would have pehaps been a little clearer. But if he
had given his distance and direction, I would have known immediately.
Naturally since I was waiting to take off, this was just an inconvenience.
But if I had been landing, and seeing no traffic on final, it could have
been more dangerous.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I had a similar experience awhile back. While taxiing out for takeoff
I heard an announcement on the CTAF - delivered so fast as to be
unintelligible. After completing my checklist I did a 360 to
scan for traffic. Nothing - So I took the runway and announced my
takeoff. Then somebody piped up on the channel lambasting me about not
keeping clear of the runway for the "approaching IFR traffic".
So I looked again - and lo and behold, there it was: a speck in the
sky approaching from downwind. I could easily have taken off and
turned crosswind before there would have been a conflict - but elected
to hold on the ground. Then I discovered that my place at
the hold short line had been taken by another aircraft, and there was
no room to return to the taxiway (without going off into the grass).
So I announced "holding at the departure end" and remained there until
the approaching aircraft declared a missed and passed overhead.

So who is right and who is wrong in that situation? Am I obliged to
vacate the runway by any means (at the risk of damaging my aircraft)
just because somebody is "landing" (though he may actually be planning
to execute a missed approach) - or is the runway "mine" because I am
occupying it, and got there first?

David Johnson