Narrative:

I was the PIC of a GA aircraft (bonanza F33A) flying from 2r4, where I have been flying from for over 3 yrs. WX for a VFR flight eastbound, planned destination was bacon, GA. I had 1 passenger who was also a pilot and owner of an A33 bonanza. Milton prince airport (2r4) is about 6 NM south of whiting NAS south (ndz). There is a class C airspace around whiting NAS. Student pilots, and new pilots using 2r4, are advised that conflicts with whiting NAS arrs to their runways 32 would be realized if the class C airspace is violated. Therefore, the proper arrival plan with a northerly wind favoring 2r4 runway 36 is: fly an upwind pattern entry (900 ft MSL) close to the airfield on the east side (close like over the taxiway). Announce on the unicom 'left upwind, for left crosswind, for left downwind to runway 36.' while completing my preflight activities, an aircraft was heard announcing on the unicom frequency (122.8) that he was '5-8 mi east, coming into milton' (2r4). I was moving onto the runway, announced my intentions to 'depart runway 36, left downwind departure, eastbound.' a smaller GA aircraft had departed ahead of me, and was somewhat slow in making his left turn to crosswind. Following his flight path could have easily put me into whiting NAS airspace from the south. On my takeoff run, and just after liftoff and turning crosswind, the aircraft from the east announced that he was overhead the airport entering left downwind. I immediately banked more to the left, visually acquired this aircraft slightly above my altitude and descending, and probably no more than 1/4 mi away. It was a piper cheyenne. My choice was to climb immediately, and starting from my crosswind altitude of 900 ft MSL, I rose quickly (being at full departure power) to an altitude that was later discovered to be 2000-2200 ft MSL. At this altitude, I am in the class C airspace. At the airport boundary, before turning eastbound, I contacted pensacola departure for flight following. Once I was idented by P31 departure, they advised me that I was in the whiting NAS class C airspace due to my altitude. Certainly this was not an intentional violation of the class C airspace, it occurred due to my actions to prevent a possible midair incident with the arriving aircraft. On my part, as the PIC of the departing aircraft who had heard the announcement from the unseen arrival, I could have waited until this arrival aircraft was seen and he was established in downwind for arrival. The arrival aircraft/pilot could have (should have) entered the normal approach procedure for runway 2r4. At 2r4 there is a large yellow sign at the north end of the field. The messages on this sign warn of the nearby class C airspace and what departures are expected to do, and expected not to do. Unfortunately there is no such sign at the south end of the airfield for departures using runway 36. This could have helped me. On weekends and most holidays, this class C airspace is not active, adding to the confusion for low-time GA pilots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B33 PLT ENTERED PNS CLASS C AIRSPACE DURING DEP FROM 2R4 AVOIDING A PAY1 INBOUND TO THE TFC PATTERN.

Narrative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

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.