No Call to Close Call: Keep Vigilant Even on Familiar Runway

Routine instructional flight turns into a heart-stopping moment when two aircraft unexpectedly meet on a hidden runway.

Tim Thompson

Thursday, October 30, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Be especially vigilant on runways you are most comfortable with. [Illustration: Joel Kimmel]

Key Takeaways:

An instructional flight on a hilly, uncontrolled grass strip resulted in a near head-on collision with an unannounced Cessna 182 due to obscured runway visibility.
Contributing factors included the other pilot's lack of CTAF communication, the author's reliance on a short-range traffic display, and an assumption of an empty field.
Key lessons learned stress the importance of continuous vigilance, making clear and frequent CTAF announcements, utilizing all aircraft lighting, and adjusting traffic display ranges for uncontrolled airfields.

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One beautiful morning, I rolled up to a grass strip in Florida just before the sun came up. I noticed a Cessna 182 completing his run-up and watched him depart as I rolled back the hangar doors. I was going to meet my friend Charley for an early morning instructional flight in a light sport aircraft (LSA) I was considering purchasing, and I wanted to get a head start on my preflight.

Our taxi and departure to the east was smooth and the climbout from the undulating runway was beautiful as the sun peeked over the horizon.