Hand Propping

[NC36454]

Folks,

I know that we've beaten this issue to death, but I feel compelled to post this. Also, I wanted to do it in a thread apart from the "other" one that is raging. The following is what I ALWAYS do when I start my plane. If ALL of these conditions don't exist, I dont fly that day!

1. As I approach the plane, I tell myself that today is the day my plane could get away on startup and kill me or someone else!
2. I tie down the tail. (carry a rope)
3. I chock the wheel on the pilots' side. (carry a chock)
4. Ater preparing the engine (prime, etc.), I turn the fuel valve OFF. (this lets it run only for a minute or so and gives me plenty of time to get in and turn it back on)
5. I ALWAYS set the throttle to idle. ( I have gone to great pains to get my engine to start without "cracking" the throttle)
6. This may be the most critical of all...I look carefully at the path the plane would probably take if it got away. That predicted path MUST have a hangar, building, or tree line, etc. so that it would stop the plane. If that path doesn't exist, I reposition the plane.

I have used this technique for over 25 years and have NEVER even had a close call. I'm sure that most folks in this group follow this same practice, but if it just helps one.............

Your Friend,
Ken
1941 BC12-65
W4SWK

[flylo]

Re: Hand Propping

Ken,good advice! I do almost the same except I chock both wheels.My chocks are tied together with a rope.I chock both wheels & hang the rope on the step.When I get in I can reach down pull the rope & bring in both chocks.

[taylorcraftbc65]

Re: Hand Propping

EXCELLENT advice Ken. I have always done everything EXCEPT step four. NOW I'm going to add that to my list.

[Dano"T"]

Re: Hand Propping

Good advice with the fuel shut off...when I got my seaplane rating, my instructor told me about that one for hand propping a seaplane.....in case you fall off the float he says....pretty hard to catch a runaway float plane when your in the drink. You'd sigh a big relief when the fuel in the bowl runs out and your plane stops.....hopefully before hitting something. When on land I always prop my plane from behind, jusy like when on floats. I hold the right door opened with my left hand and flip the prop with my right. I'm sure I'm not the only one. If the plane did start to get away even with all the other safety precautions...you can easily get at the throttle using this technique.


Dan

[David Price]

Re: Hand Propping

ON EVERY hand prop start, I place a, 1/4" x 1 1/2" x 7" alum. angle as a chock
in front of tires. There is a 1/4" hemp line added to them thru a 5/16" hole in angle (holes are drilled in larger dia. to reduce weight, yet allow strength). One line is long enough to go from the right wheel under plane and up into cabin. The left line is splice to this first line and secured to the tube that is always in the way in the doorway. After hand proping and the engine is running, once in the cabin, it is very easy to remove chocks from inside the cabin with feet on the brakes. And yes,I have forgotten to check the throttle ONCE, and she came life so very fast in my face that my pants were wet front to back and a heart pond that throb in my ears louder that the engine noise.Thank GOD I have always used this along with the tail tied.
With plane still chocked enter cabin and release the chocks with a slight pull on the lines, pull them in gently as not hit the side and underside as they are being pulled in, line is wraped around the two angles and stored and secure yet easy to get to when needed.

[Howard Wilson]

Re: Hand Propping

A source that wishes to remain confidential passes along the following:
' Before I prop the plane, I stand before the spinner and tell myself "now be careful, this one could kill you. Now I'm going to write on the spinner "Tied down?", "Throttle cracked?"

[crispy critter]

Re: Hand Propping

Guys,
I always tie the tail to something every time.....I may be 31 years old but if my dad ever caught me propping without the tail tied he'd still beat my ass with a hickory switch.I always carry a rope with me with safety hook on each end.It's quick,easy,and the safest method around.A t-craft can jump a set of cocks at 1/3 throttle.

[Richard Boyer]

Re: Hand Propping

Does anyone remember that video made by Dave Wiley on video? I converted it to DVD yesterday and tried to make a windows movie. I have more experimenting to do as it was still around 100MB (9.5 min). It is a little fuzzy (static). Probably a combination of an old VHS Tape and an old VCR.

Dave, you still lurking around? Can this be distributed free?

Richard Boyer
N95701

[Frank DeBartolo]

Re: Hand Propping

I prop my BC12-D using almost the same procedure that Ken does. I had the FBO install a tiedown in front of my hangar so I can tie the tail down. After propping the plane with the tail tied down, left wheel chocked, and fuel valve shut off, I go back into the cabin and check the oil pressure and then make sure that the engine is at the LOWEST idle it can be at and tighten the throttle so I am sure that the throttle will not creep. Then, I start to untie the tail and remove the chock on the left wheel. I quickly get into the airplane. This takes approx 30 or so seconds. When in the airplane, I engage the fuel valve.

Frank

N43684

[Victor Gisclair]

Re: Hand Propping

Hi Ron,
I for one would love to know what makes a good chock. I am always trying to learn something new about our little planes.

[VictorBravo]

Hand Prop / Chocks

I'll chime in here and offer this...

In my opinion, the best chock would be an upside down piece of a T-shaped extrusion. The vertical portion sticking up prevents the wheel from moving forward. One of the horizontal portions is held by the weight of the airplane, anchoring the whole system. The other horixontal portion out in front of the tire prevents the plane from rotating or rolling the chock forward. (a small piece of angle could possibly get rotated over-center by a strong thrust from the engine.

I guess if you wanted to REALLY do the dog, you could have triangular side gussets on each side of the tire that prevent the T-extrusion from being bent.

The problem with this type of chock is that it takes up a little more room than just a couple of 90 degree angles. It would also work so well that you couldn't pull it out with a string from the cockpit.

The second-best idea IMHO would be a 90 degree angle chock that has a tall enough wall in front that the plane can't roll over it, but then also a long enough tongue under the tire so that there is enough weight on it and it can't be over-centered. I'll make up a sketch and attach it to another post in a minute...

[VictorBravo]

Re: Hand Propping

Here is a quick sketch of my two ideas. The key, in my opinion, is to have a mechanism where the tire cannot rotate the chocks (pusing forward enough on the vertical wall that the horizintal wall lifts up enough for the whole chock to roll forward).

OK, can anyone tell me how to attach a bmp file? I hit the "manage attachments" button and nothing happened...

[birdlegs]

Re: Hand Propping

Okay! If this gonna be a true "boot party" I'll donate some leather .....
I have to agree that the chock thing did'nt work for me either, I had a lot of trouble retrieving same. So, I tie the tail w/ a falconers knot. It's got a tail to pull, releasing all when ready. mags "on both" throttle,1/8" showing.& locked tight, Fuel selector "off". when it cackles I go straight to the oil pressure guage, response noted,I set fuel to "on"and let it settle to idle. when the oil temp moves off the peg, I drop to the left mag and it will idle @ about 450 rpm. thats when I pop the tail tie, kick the tail wheel to side caster( it will barely crawl on pavement) so some grass is ideal & swing up into the saddle.Mags to "both" hatch & harness check, unlock throttle & taxi to active! If they're any holes in this method now 's the time!
Brad.

[NC36454]

Re: Hand Propping

Brad,

Great ideas! In this business, you can NEVER take too many precautions. I tried switching to one mag after startup, but found that the impulse couplers would start engaging around 450 RPM, so had to remove that step from my procedure. (springs wont last too long like that!) I have impulse coupling on both mags, but sometimes wish I had it only on one, so I could continue with the "one mag" step.

Ken
1941 BC12-65
W4SWK

[alwaysoar]

Re: Hand Propping

OK, I'll weigh in. I keep my sanity and my plane in one piece by having unbreakable rules. One of these is, ALWAYS tie the airplane down somehow. My favorite method if I'm away from home where I have tie downs is to make a harness by taking a long yellow rope and putting it around some immovable object behind the plane, and then tieing each end to the strut fitting just outside the doors. Once inside, I just lean out and untie the rope and reel it in. It seems foolproof, is very easy to do. I also prop from behind so I am at the controls, and have been known to crawl in the right hand door in front of the strut so I never leave the controls. A lot of good suggestions on this thread. I guess the important thing is to come up with a procedure you like and ALWAYS follow it.