AN MO20 PLT RPTS AN NMAC WITH AN AT38 WHILE NEAR CBM.

Narrative

WX WAS CLR AND 10 MI VISIBILITY. I WAS CLBING VFR OUT OF MY HOME ARPT; PASSING 3000 FT FOR 4500 FT. I WAS JUST S OF THE COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE CLASS C AIRSPACE AND HAD DIALED UP APCH CTL; BUT HAD NOT YET ATTEMPTED RADIO CONTACT. WHILE IN THE CLB; I WAS LOOKING INSIDE TO SET MY DEST ARPT IN MY LORAN RECEIVER; AND I JUST HAPPENED TO LOOK UP IN TIME TO SEE AN AT38 PASS JUST IN FRONT OF MY NOSE AND BELOW ME; GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. IT WAS ABOUT 300 FT AWAY. THE AT38 APPEARED TO BE TAKING EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID ME. MY XPONDER WAS ON AND SET TO 1200 AT THE TIME. MODE C WAS ALSO ON. I WAS SURPRISED THAT I HAD NOT HEARD ATC CALL ME OUT AS VFR TFC TO THE AT38 PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT; I CALLED THE CTLR; GAVE MY POS AND TOLD THE CTLR THAT AN AT38 HAD JUST PASSED VERY CLOSE TO ME. I CONFIRMED WITH APCH CTL THAT I WAS OUTSIDE CLASS C AIRSPACE; AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE INDEED TALKING TO THE AT38. I PERCEIVED THAT THERE WAS CTLR TRAINING GOING ON AT THE TIME; BECAUSE I COULD HEAR TWO VOICES ON THE FREQ; ONE VERY UNSURE; AND THE OTHER VERY PROFESSIONAL AND FORCEFUL. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE TRAINEE DID NOT SEE A POTENTIAL CONFLICT AND THEREFORE DID NOT CALL ME OUT AS TFC TO THE AT38. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRING MORE AT THE TIME; ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT HAVE MADE ANY DIFFERENCE AS AN AT38 IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE COMING HEAD ON AT HIGH SPD. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED APCH CTL EARLIER; MAYBE THAT WAY THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE LIKELY TO CALL ME OUT AS TFC AND MIGHT HAVE CALLED THE AT38 OUT TO ME. FINALLY; IT SHOULD GO WITHOUT SAYING THAT I SHOULD HAVE PROGRAMMED MY LORAN ON THE GND SO I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE VIGILANT IN THE BUSY AIRSPACE SURROUNDING COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE.