"Cessna 1234 Taking the Runway"

JDChopperpilot · October 12, 2003

On an night flight from KOAK to KWVI (watsonville,ca) I ran into a slight problem. The flight went very well untill I entered the pattern at WVI (uncontroled field)There was a Cessna on the taxi way which I noted was holding short while I called base leg then final leg. It was still holding as I made my APP. and landed. However, once I landed the Cessna called on CTAF "Cessna 1234 taking the runway" I was still on the runway and thought ok she is going to position and hold. Just as I thought that the King Air Captain I followed in, was taxing back and warned me there was a Cessna which had started its take off. Lights and alarms went off in my head and I thought oh my and took quick action and went to the narrow grass between the runway and the taxi way just as the cessna puttered on by me with in feet of my rotor. The question, when someone says "taking the runway" do they mean they are taking off, or going to hold? I don't think that's even a proper radio term. Just so you know, A flight instructor on field heard all this and said he knew who the Cessna pilot was and would take care of it. She was apparently based elsewhere. The pilot wasn't listening at all because she went about her calls in the pattern, even after she almost hit me. Next time I hear that term I will request to the pilot as to their intentions. My long cross country for my Comm. almost became a one way trip.

jimbo2181 · October 12, 2003

What I've been led to believe is that when anyone says taking the active they are just telling you that they will be somewhere on the active runway. This radio call really claims the whole runway for themselves in which case the cessna made an incorrect call. Also if you take the active you should still report on the go but then again Ive run across fixed wingers who will report on the go 5 seconds before they turn crosswind.

lesson of the story....never trust a fixed wing pilot

PS I was almost nailed twice by two different fixed wings at the same airport. The first time the pilot report a left crosswind when in fact they were a right crosswind and they flew from underneath in front my windscreen at about 500 feet. Number two I took action because after repeated calls of crosssing the extended centerlines to enter a right downwind I never received a response because the pilot was too busy BSing with one of her g/f... I never trust those people and while I was doing a comm Add on rating for a student he actually told me fixed wing had the right of way at all times over rotorcraft and that it was our responsiblity to get out of their way.....ohhh buddy.

Jesse James · October 12, 2003

I'm also a commercial fixed-wing pilot, but when flying helos I never shoot an approach to any runway unless I'm at a controlled field and the tower tells me too and then most of the time they will let you shoot the approach to the ramp or at least the taxi-way. If you were at a field just using a CTAF then it's pretty much up to you to watch out for you. Unless you have too by the tower, shooting an approach to a runway kind of takes away the advantage of flying a helicopter. Just my take on it. Jesse

JDChopperpilot · October 12, 2003

I agree with both of you. However, I elected to land on the active since the second runway was unlit and all other areas that may have been suitable to land in daylight were to me not the best places to land at night since I had never been to that airport before. The safest thing to do at that point was use the runway. All would have been well had the cessna held position untill I called clear of the active. By the way, I am also fixed wing rated, and was suprised to hear that a student would really think that no matter what airplanes have right of way over rotorcraft in all situations. If this is what other fixed wingers think I don't want to even guess how long it'll be before something like this happens again. Thanks for the replies !