Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 30; Flight Crew Total 250; Flight Crew Type 200
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Distraction; Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Environment - Non Weather Related; Airport; Human Factors; Weather
I was sitting at the departure end of Runway 26 at ZZZ; with several aircraft in the pattern landing and doing taxi-backs as appropriate to return to the main ramp. I announced my position holding short of runway 26 for takeoff and allowed an aircraft on final to land. I expected him to taxi back and listened for/received his taxi-back call out. Although I understood the call out I could tell that English was not the pilot's first language. I did not pay particular attention to the tail number said during that call out; as I could visually confirm his location. Immediately after; a second pilot gave the same call out; but instead saying 'back-taxiing runway 8'. The environment at the airport consisted of many foreign students in training; many of whom did not have English as their first language. Keeping this in mind I assumed that the second voice that called out a taxi-back was the instructor of the first aircraft clarifying their position; as I was ready to take off once they were clear.After hearing their clear call out and visually confirming they were off the runway; I called out 'ZZZ Traffic; [Cessna 172] departing runway 26 to the east; ZZZ Traffic'. I did not hear a response from any other aircraft in the pattern. I checked that the final approach end was clear and taxied onto the runway for takeoff. I took a quick glance down the runway; not expecting to see any traffic; and called runway clear. Looking down runway 26 at that time of the day included seeing a mix of the sunset and runway lights. Although these factors might have affected my ability to distinguish aircraft lights from runway lights; I believe I am at fault for not acknowledging this and giving the visual scan of the runway more attention.I began my takeoff roll and spotted the aircraft about 500 feet in front of me; his location was about 75 feet from the taxiway exit to the main ramp. I am unsure if that pilot did not hear my takeoff callout or if he assumed that he could clear before I started my roll but I did not hear from him after his initial taxi-back callout.By the time I spotted the aircraft on the runway I was only 4 knots below my usual rotation speed of 55 knots; so I elected to climb to avoid a collision instead of applying brakes and veering left on the runway at that high speed. I pulled back and banked slight left; getting airborne about 100-200 feet laterally from his position. The rest of the flight continued without incident; and after reviewing the airport layout I realized that a second aircraft could have entered the runway behind the first one I was waiting on from a taxiway at the opposite end of the runway. I believe this is indeed what happened.
A single piloted aircraft on takeoff saw another aircraft further down the runway. The pilot rotated early; nearly missing the other aircraft. The reporter mentioned that there were 'many foreign students in training...' and that that fact contributed to his not detecting the traffic conflict before takeoff roll because the other aircraft did not respond to his departure announcement.