NMAC BTWN 2 GA ACFT AT 1900 FT; 4 PT 5 NM NW OF BVS; WA.

Narrative

STUDENT PLT ON LCL SOLO; RETURNING TO (NUW); WHIDBEY ISLAND NAS FROM 'NORTH PRACTICE AREA'; LEVEL AT 1900 FT MSL; ON COURSE 200 DEG MAGNETIC HDG; AT 110 MPH; ENRTE TO 'REFINERY' CHK-IN POINT FOR INITIAL CONTACT WITH WHIDBEY TWR FOR ENTRY INTO CLASS C AIRSPACE. A CLBING ACFT DEPARTING FROM BVS RWY 28; APCHED FROM MY L. THE CLBING ACFT SAW ME FIRST AND TOOK EVASIVE ACTION ASTERN OF ME TO AVOID MIDAIR COLLISION. I DID NOT SEE THIS ACFT UNTIL JUST BEFORE WE TOOK EVASIVE ACTION. INCIDENT LOCATION WAS APPROX 4.5 MI NW FROM BVS. MY ACFT ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT WAS ON AND OPERATIONAL. WX AT THE TIME WAS IDEAL: CLR SKIES; UNLIMITED VISIBILITY; CALM WINDS (270 DEGS/3-5 KTS); SUNSHINE; GND TEMP 75 DEGS F. I TECHNICALLY HAD THE 'RIGHT OF WAY.' I CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT CONSIDERING MY LOCATION AND FAILING TO BE EXTRA OBSERVANT AS I FOLLOWED MY COURSE INBOUND (TRAINING RTE) WHICH WAS IN THE PATH OF CLBING AND DEPARTING ACFT FROM BVS. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE MAINTAINED A LISTENING WATCH LONGER ON BVS CTAF 123.05 INSTEAD OF SWITCHING ALL RADIOS TO NUW (ATIS; APCH; TWR AND GND). IN HINDSIGHT; A PRECAUTIONARY BROADCAST OF MY LOCATION/ALT AND INTENTIONS TO BVS 'TFC' MIGHT HAVE ALERTED THE ONCOMING ACFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: STUDENT PLT ON FIRST LCL SOLO; MY FOCUS ON GETTING READY TO ENTER CLASS C AIRSPACE AND ASSOCIATED RADIO COMS; NAVING BTWN 2 UNCTLED ARPTS (ANACORTES (74S) AND SKAGIT BVS); PALE BLUE COLOR OF MY ACFT WHICH PROBABLY DID NOT PROVIDE GOOD VISUAL CONTRAST WITH THE CLOUDLESS BLUE SKY. THIS INCIDENT HAS TAUGHT ME HOW CRITICAL IT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT VISUAL SCANNING IS MAINTAINED IN ALL DIRECTIONS HIGH AND LOW -- ALL ANGLES AFFORDED BY THE ACFT VIEWING WINDOWS AND TO BE EXTRA VIGILANT IN THE VICINITY OF UNCTLED ARPTS. I AM MOST THANKFUL THAT THE OTHER ACFT SPOTTED ME AND YIELDED THE RIGHT OF WAY PER RULES REGULATING CONVERGING ACFT.