Narrative:

As the first officer and I were holding short of runway 32 at an uncontrolled airport, awaiting our IFR release, we noticed several aircraft in the pattern and 2 banner towing aircraft in the distance northeast. We received our IFR release with a 2 min void time. Final approach was clear and we called on the CTAF that we were taking position runway 32. On the back taxi we still observed the 2 banner towing aircraft approaching from the northeast. The AFD states that at this airport there is heavy banner towing activity to north of runway 32/14. The first banner tower was close enough that we waited for it to fly the upwind, to the north of the runway, and drop the banner. That aircraft then proceeded, to my surprise, to turn a left crosswind at low altitude. As that aircraft proceeded on the low downwind for runway 32, the first officer and I called that we were on the departure roll runway 32 swbound. The second banner tower at the time was entering an upwind runway 32 to the north side of the field. As we broke ground and brought the gear up we noticed the second banner tower, apparently without a radio, turn slightly south and begin converging with our departure path. At about 300-400 ft AGL we began a left turn at a 20-30 degree bank angle to avoid banner tower #2. Our jet passed about 400 ft to the left of banner tower #2 and about 600 ft to the left of the opposite direction banner tower #1. It was a very uncomfortable few moments. The copilot and I should have never began our takeoff roll as the banner towers have the right-of-way and no radios as we later found out. Our decision to takeoff was made hastily for several reasons that I can think of in retrospect. We had only a 2 min void time for our IFR release. It was the end of the day and were repositioning an empty aircraft home. I think both the first officer and I thought that with our speed in the jet we were easily get out in front of banner tower #2 well before it became a factor. None of these factors should justify a takeoff in this scenario and it was a bad decision to do so. There is absolutely no reason to rush the takeoff. I take full responsibility for this close encounter and apologize to those who were involved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR C550 DEPARTING UNCTLED ARPT HAS CLOSE CALL WITH 2 BANNER TOW ACFT.

Narrative: AS THE FO AND I WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 32 AT AN UNCTLED ARPT, AWAITING OUR IFR RELEASE, WE NOTICED SEVERAL ACFT IN THE PATTERN AND 2 BANNER TOWING ACFT IN THE DISTANCE NE. WE RECEIVED OUR IFR RELEASE WITH A 2 MIN VOID TIME. FINAL APCH WAS CLR AND WE CALLED ON THE CTAF THAT WE WERE TAKING POS RWY 32. ON THE BACK TAXI WE STILL OBSERVED THE 2 BANNER TOWING ACFT APCHING FROM THE NE. THE AFD STATES THAT AT THIS ARPT THERE IS HVY BANNER TOWING ACTIVITY TO N OF RWY 32/14. THE FIRST BANNER TOWER WAS CLOSE ENOUGH THAT WE WAITED FOR IT TO FLY THE UPWIND, TO THE N OF THE RWY, AND DROP THE BANNER. THAT ACFT THEN PROCEEDED, TO MY SURPRISE, TO TURN A L XWIND AT LOW ALT. AS THAT ACFT PROCEEDED ON THE LOW DOWNWIND FOR RWY 32, THE FO AND I CALLED THAT WE WERE ON THE DEP ROLL RWY 32 SWBOUND. THE SECOND BANNER TOWER AT THE TIME WAS ENTERING AN UPWIND RWY 32 TO THE N SIDE OF THE FIELD. AS WE BROKE GND AND BROUGHT THE GEAR UP WE NOTICED THE SECOND BANNER TOWER, APPARENTLY WITHOUT A RADIO, TURN SLIGHTLY S AND BEGIN CONVERGING WITH OUR DEP PATH. AT ABOUT 300-400 FT AGL WE BEGAN A L TURN AT A 20-30 DEG BANK ANGLE TO AVOID BANNER TOWER #2. OUR JET PASSED ABOUT 400 FT TO THE L OF BANNER TOWER #2 AND ABOUT 600 FT TO THE L OF THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION BANNER TOWER #1. IT WAS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FEW MOMENTS. THE COPLT AND I SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEGAN OUR TKOF ROLL AS THE BANNER TOWERS HAVE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY AND NO RADIOS AS WE LATER FOUND OUT. OUR DECISION TO TKOF WAS MADE HASTILY FOR SEVERAL REASONS THAT I CAN THINK OF IN RETROSPECT. WE HAD ONLY A 2 MIN VOID TIME FOR OUR IFR RELEASE. IT WAS THE END OF THE DAY AND WERE REPOSITIONING AN EMPTY ACFT HOME. I THINK BOTH THE FO AND I THOUGHT THAT WITH OUR SPD IN THE JET WE WERE EASILY GET OUT IN FRONT OF BANNER TOWER #2 WELL BEFORE IT BECAME A FACTOR. NONE OF THESE FACTORS SHOULD JUSTIFY A TKOF IN THIS SCENARIO AND IT WAS A BAD DECISION TO DO SO. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO RUSH THE TKOF. I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS CLOSE ENCOUNTER AND APOLOGIZE TO THOSE WHO WERE INVOLVED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.