Position and Hold at uncontrolled field

"Dale" wrote in message
...
In article ,
dave wrote:

I was returning to LOM today and after one plane had landed but not yet
cleared the runway, a pilot at the approach end announced "position and
hold". He taxied into position and waited for the previous aircraft to
clear the runway. He then made a normal departure. I was taught at
uncontrolled fields to never take the runway unless you can depart
promptly. Why? In case an aircraft is landing that you aren't aware
of. You may not be aware of the aircraft because he doesn't have a
radio, he called and you didn't hear him, you can't see him, etc.

Is this a new training technique to get students ready for controlled
fields? Most everybody has a radio at my home field but I fly into
fields where many pilots don't have or don't use their radio.

If the guy went position and hold to do his runup would be one thing.
But getting into position as other traffic is clearing isn't a big deal.
It's only a few seconds, not much different than taxiing out and
departing as far as risk of being hit by the blind pilot on final. By
getting out on the runway he's making the runway available sooner for
landing traffic. Good thinking on his part.

Tend to agree and it lets the clearing traffic know someone wants to go. As
a matter of course I always tell when I have vacated the runway. I often fly
from a strip with a hump and a plane can disappear over the hump and unless
the pilot radios that he is clear, the only option for the departing pilot
is to wait to see him reappear on the taxiway.

When the tower is working no problem, but when its closed it needs all
pilots to consider the needs of others.