Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 104; Flight Crew Total 560; Flight Crew Type 520
Workload; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Aircraft; Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Procedure
On short final RWY 27 into SCD to perform a touch and go landing for a commercial pilot training flight; I noticed a clear object rise above the tree line just off the far western end of the runway. Moments prior to touchdown I determined the object I saw was a small bubble canopy helicopter. I had my student continue the landing as the helicopter appeared to be heading westbound; away from us. After touchdown; my student reconfigured the aircraft; applied full power; and initiated a takeoff. At rotation; the helicopter turned from the west to the east; and headed straight down the opposite end of the runway towards us. I briefly considered aborting the takeoff; but was worried that a high speed ground collision between our two aircraft might occur. After rotation; I took the flight controls and continued to climb out at the best rate of climb speed; and sidestepped north; away from the helicopter and runway environment. To my knowledge and from what I saw; the helicopter took no evasive action; and I'm not certain if they even made visual contact with us. Our landing light; taxi light; anti-collision lights; and flashing beacon were all on; and we had been making radio calls on CTAF from at least 10 nm from the airport. The helicopter in question was a small agricultural helicopter; and it had not been making radio calls on SCD CTAF 122.8. Upon arrival back to my home airport; I spoke with the assistant chief flight instructor (and Safety Officer) about the event; and also filed a company safety report. I also called SCD to inquire as to the nature of the helicopter operating on the field without making radio calls. They were operating in the area spraying herbicide on power lines; and also on tree tracts and that their helicopters are not equipped with radios. I believe this event was caused by the pilot of the aforementioned helicopter failing to exercise proper collision avoidance and scanning techniques; and assuming that a normally quiet airport with low amounts of traffic would automatically be free of any landing traffic. The winds at the time of the event were favoring RWY 27.In the future; publishing a NOTAM to alert transient aircraft of this non-routine (to SCD) traffic operating in the area could help aid in situational awareness for other pilots operating in the vicinity of the airport. And although not legally required; it would be beneficial for those helicopters to be equipped with radios; so they can more safely coordinate with traffic; and also build a better situational awareness picture for themselves with regards to other aircraft in the area.
GA flight instructor reported taking evasive action from a helicopter as his student departed SCD following a touch and go. The helicopter did not have a radio installed.