SR22
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 35; Flight Crew Total 1700; Flight Crew Type 1400
Situational Awareness
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Human Factors
I was on an IFR refresher training flight; in CAVU conditions; with a CFI rated instructor pilot in the right seat. I was in the left seat; wearing instrument training 'foggles.' I was PIC.After 1.5 hours of uneventful practice approaches and holds at we returned to Gaithersburg; GAI. GAI is within the SFRA; and we had received a clearance for entry. At that point we were about 10 miles northwest of GAI. I listened to the AWOS; which reported 'winds calm.'GAI has a single runway; 14/32. For noise reasons; Runway 14 is established as the preferred calm-wind runway. Our course put us almost on a straight-in heading for Runway 14. We heard no traffic reports in the pattern (GAI is uncontrolled.) So I made a call saying that we would track in the RNAV14 course toward Runway 14. Tracking in the RNAV14 was just for additional practice but was done in VFR. I still had foggles; the instructor was watching for traffic.We made a sequence of calls; all specifying that we were headed for Runway 14. When we announced that we were two miles out and on final approach to land on Runway 14; a pilot we had not heard before said 'Holding short; Runway 32.' OK; for one reason or another; he was using the other runway but he was aware we were coming in. I don't remember the exact phrasing; but he was clearly aware of our approach. He said something like 'Cirrus; we've been using 32.' There were no other planes on the radio then; and the only plane in the area was ours; on final approach to the calm-wind runway.About five seconds later; he announced that he was taking off on Runway 32. That is; headed directly towards us as we were on short-final approach. At that point the instructor told me to break off the approach immediately. I took off the foggles; began climbing; and diverted the plane to the left (to join the right-hand pattern for Runway 32). I leveled off at pattern altitude and landed uneventfully on Runway 32. Meanwhile the other pilot continued doing touch-and-goes for Runway 32. As I was announcing that I was clear of the runway; I (perhaps unwisely said) 'Cessna pilot; Gaithersburg calm-wind runway is 14.' He said; 'I've been using 32.' The instructor said; 'We'll talk about this later.'The main point is: knowing that we were on short final for Runway 14; and that he had announced he was 'holding short;' he still then deliberately took off directly at us. He was either unwilling to wait the 30 seconds for us to land and clear the runway; or he was annoyed and wanted to play a game of chicken; in which we decided to break off. For a student to do this would be one thing. For an instructor is harder to imagine in its own right; and dangerous in that he is teaching others attitudes about flying.
SR22 pilot reports approaching GAI on the RNAV 14 approach in VMC and making position reports on the CTAF; with no response from traffic. Two miles out another pilot announces he is holding short of Runway 32 then announces he is departing 32. The reporter goes around and enters the downwind for Runway 32.