Hand propping

[VictorBravo]

Re: Hand propping

Where do you fly? I have been visiting a friend who has a company in Novato, who keeps threatening to hire me and make me move up there. Last week I was up there, and I started thinking about where to base my airplane in that area. I didn't like Gnoss Field in Novato too much, nothing going on. We visited Sonoma/Schellville and liked it, lots of tailwheels and stuff going on. I saw very clearly that the scenery is really nice in the area, but what is the flying weather like?

[Dano"T"]

Re: Hand propping

I disagree about the safest place to be....the safest place for me is behind the prop when propping alone....you can immediatly dive into the cockpit before things get away and pull the throttle back.....Worthy of note however, is that if you have intentionally advanced the throttle more than just a tiny crack while trying to start there is no way you should attempt this ever unless the tail is tied or a competent person is at the controls. I start mine on ski ALWAYS from behind while holding the right door against the fuselage with my left hand. As soon as it fires get your hand on that throttle. Always use chocks when doing this on wheels or skis. Be careful on skis though, cause you'll be standing on the right ski.....I put some black non-skid on my right ski so I don't slip. An argument can be made for the safety of ANY method of handpropping.....make common sense the rule.....and if you have to eat cold pankakes to be safe....so be it.

[N96337]

Re: Hand propping

When I was at the home airport, I always started mine before I untied anything... it was a nice warm up while I untied things. When I was away, I've done both, and I'd have to agree with DanoT.. I'd rather be behind ... but like has been said, there's really no good place to be... haha We used to have "glider tow hooks" and some cheap sisal rope that would rot quite quickly with us in Alaska in the floatplanes... that was mostly for getting started on a river (Otters all had inertia starters), but the same would work for a Tcraft on land.. there's usually something to tie to somewhere.
JH

[Dano"T"]

Re: Hand propping

Yes sir...and on floats I turn the fuel off when propping in case I fall in the drink...at least the motor will quit so I can swim for it.

[high time cub]

[NY86]

Re: Hand propping

Sometimes there's really no way to tie it down and you just have to do it from behind....

(Ref: above photo)

[N96337]

Re: Hand propping

I did a Beaver on floats once from behind and underneath... not as bad as I was expecting...just gotta duck as the spreaders go over your head!!
JH

[paulp]

Re: Hand propping

Howdy All,

Bill B. I like your idea of closing the main fuel valve to leave only a minute's worth of running time. However, in my case, the nearest Cessna Citation is only 45 seconds away!!!! It's just like my emergency landing areas-they are alaways 1/2 mile behind me!

All kidding aside, I would recommend to anyone, and I do mean anyone, TIE THE BIRD DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you do, you will never have the problem of explaining to the FAA as to how the prop on your airplane got stuck in the side of that Cirrus!!(and I guarntee they will not beleive that you were protecting two small children from rabid racoons,)

[VictorBravo]

Re: Hand propping

Do what makes it safe for you, even if that is not what someone else thinks is safe to start their airplane.

For my money, being within two feet of a propeller when it is running is not the safe thing to do. Like i said, you have three separate parts of an airplane trying to push you into the prop if it lunges forward. Nobody addressed that fact yet.

Another problem with propping from behind.... it is universally accepted that the right way to prop is with your palms on the curved side of the blade and your fingers NOT wrapped around the trailing edge. This way if the engine kicks back you don't lose your fingers. Standing behind the prop on the right side of the cowl puts your hands at the wrong angle, so that you could not put your palms on the prop. You literally have to wrap your fingers around the trailing edge of the blade to pull the prop through. If it backfires or kicks back, you have broken fingers or worse.

Do what makes it safe for you, even if that is not what someone else thinks is safe to start their airplane. I'll keep my fingers away from the trailing edge of the prop, and my body moving away from it on startup, thank you. This prevents me from being hurt first and foremost. The next order of business is to make sure the airplane cannot move until you are in the seat. That is a secondary issue, solved by rope, chocks, bricks, chains, etc. commensurate with common sense in the situaiton you are in.

[Dusty]

Re: Hand propping

Also, when you fly from the right seat how do you reach the brakes?

teehee - a taylorcraft with brakes...

I'm on skis now. I almost always fly from the brake-having side on wheels.

Do what makes it safe for you, even if that is not what someone else thinks is safe to start their airplane.


I like that. I'm usually running hard and trying to get 8 hours of work done in 4 hours of daylight, and walking into the prop while trying to remember what I left behind is a real worry. I think I'll stay behind the prop.

On my engine, I get about 15 seconds of runtime or so with the mixture out. When I start on glare ice, etc. I usually pull the mix before I start it. Sometimes I don't get it caught in time and have to do it all over again, but the plane's right where I left it when I try the second time.

[alwaysoar]

Re: Hand propping

I tie the tail, chock with a retrieve cord back under the strut, turn off the fuel, and prop from behind. Still scares me. I've personally witnessed two runaway planes. I've never tried a beaver from behind. But then I'm not from AK.

[selje]

Re: Hand propping

Agree with always tying the tail down. One precaution not mentioned so far is to check the surface you are standing on. With snow, ice or wet grass, you could slip and fall partly under the prop.

[Armstrong]

Re: Hand propping

Where do you fly? I have been visiting a friend who has a company in Novato, who keeps threatening to hire me and make me move up there. Last week I was up there, and I started thinking about where to base my airplane in that area. I didn't like Gnoss Field in Novato too much, nothing going on. We visited Sonoma/Schellville and liked it, lots of tailwheels and stuff going on. I saw very clearly that the scenery is really nice in the area, but what is the flying weather like?

Bill, I fly out of my freinds AG strip near williams CA. Its 80miles, but its free and I am in a hanger.It takes me about an 1:15 min. to get there ,but I stay all day sat or sun. If you can get into Schellville, do it. It looks like a great place to fly out of. When I first brought my t-craft up from Tennessee I tried to get on their hanger list,I talked to a nice old lady and she would not even let me put my name on it , said they had a list 10 years long! Great weather here in the summer and fall , no smog, but depending where you are, fog can ruin alot winter flying days. Schellville gets alot of winter and spring fludding, but I think its just around the airport( runways still usable).
Rob

[NC36061]

Re: Hand propping

My old instructor, who had Taylorcrafts for years, and was extremely knowledgeable on things, had a method for starting if you were alone and unable to tie down. He would leave the fuel valve OFF and prop from the front. The instant it fired, he was at the front of the right lift strut, grabbing ahold with both hands in the middle of the strut where the jury strut clamp is. He claimed that if it started to run away, you could push back and walk the airplane in a circle, keeping it from building momentum in a straight line, and thus control it until it ran out of gas. Don't know, never had to use it, but it sounds like it might work. I have started from behind too, and like Dan says, it is easy enough to get ahold of the throttle before things have a chance to get away from you. Bill's points about the trailing edge of the prop being sharp if she kicks back, and the somewhat awkward angles are equally valid. It comes down to what you are comfortable with in your given circumstances, but taking your time, using common sense and being safe first.

Dave

[alwaysoar]

Re: Hand propping

Well, your old instructor did not see the Luscombe 8A going around in ever widening circles one day in Dothan, AL, in '62 with a very hefty funeral director owner hanging on to the strut unable to get to the door due to forces, yelling at me with every pass to grab the tail. I'd offered to prop it, or hold the brakes, but he said no, he'd done this many times before, and that tail was whipping like an angry gator. It finally stopped, after hitting a couple of parked planes, up against the right engine of a twin beech.
Propping from behind is not as much of an advantage in a luscombe because you can't open the door all the way, but at least you're closer. I can't see how it's too likely that the plane will run you down propping from behind because you're right there at the controls. Like I said, the whole thing scares me half to death, and that's a good thing. If someone is around, I always solicit their help even if it's only to untie when I'm inside. How likely is a kickback if your engine is tuned and you start on left (impulse) mag?