Steve Thorne from Flightchops recently posted a video to YouTube about how he overcame his fear of hand propping.
“Hand Propping —- RESPECT required to not get hurt or killed!” he says below the video.
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You NEVER turn your back to a spinning propeller as he did here !!!!!!!!!!!
DANGER!
Glaring problem. He’s worried about sunglasses. BUT the big danger is that he never took off his cap. The first impulse if your hat flies off is to grab it. If it falls off with the prop spinning, it goes right into the disk of the prop. So NEVER prop a plane with your hat on, loose clothing, sunglasses is a good hint too.
You want to be able to put away all the risk factors.
Also he never mentioned footing.
You should have firm footing underneath. Propping on ice might be a good time to try propping the plane from behind the prop, where you have struts to grab onto and you aren’t swinging too much, but using your arm motion to swing the prop.
Greg Wilson is right that each A-65 (NOT C-65 as the video calls it… there is no C-65) has it’s own unique personality. I have a A-65 without impulses on the mags. It takes 5 or 6 tries to get it to fire, but it works. It’s a bear to start if it’s hot. Easy to flood.
Otherwise, a good overall introduction, with these comments in mind.
In the 1950s a city bus ran from Flushing Main Street last stop on the 7 subway from Manhattan to College Point. Along the route was a airfield Flushing Airport . I always sat on the side of the bus to get a glimpse of the field as the bus rolled by . This day was different the bus was loaded with more people than usual and it stopped at the airport as they disembarked I saw a line of people standing next to 4 foot high chance link fense apparently waiting to get a flight to Connecticut or Long Island. I watched a kid about 15 trying to hand prop a Tiger Moth burp he was obviously over his head or shall I say the prop was. A distinguished elderly gentleman in a business suit standing at the head of the line saw the situation opened the gate walked over to the kid spoke to him then the kid retreated then the Gentleman walked over to the cockpit spoke to the piolet then proceeded to the front of the prop. Be gingerly removed his suit jacket placed it on the ground yelled to the pilot then spun the prop over this process was repeated 3 times I was mesmerized how the Gentleman’s body was like poetry in motion the Moth roared to life the Gentleman ran to the pulley sed something then he ran to the tail grabbed it rotated the bird to the runway. As the red Tiger Moth taxied away the elderly Gentleman retrieved his suit coat off the ground walked back through the gate took his place in line then the bus rolled off as I fixed my eye balls as long as I could on the Distinguished Young Gentleman standing at the chain link dense waiting for his flight. I was about 10 at the time it was like watching a silent movie everything seemed animated the window was stuck closed it was hot and diesel exhaust stank the bus but that experience and memory will stay with me even through dementia if it comes.
After six months of having someone there for me for “psychological reassurance” and 3 months after getting my tailwheel endorsement, I finally was able to start a Taylorcraft solo and fly it alone too.
Mind you I am a 650 hrs commercial pilot but a hand propped only non electric tailwheel wonder with a humble 65 hp engine like the BD-12 will make you feel like a student with a few hours again such higher is the bar of proficiency, guts and skills.
After that any crosswind in an automatic landing gear ie tricycle is a joke. As is the feeling of being a little coward hiding behind the cockpit to push the start button to get the prop going.
Could you do a video having a very tall guy proping an aircraft? or have any suggestions on safety… I’m 6’7″ and when pulling through on a Luscombe, when the prop is at 9 o’clock my shoulders are so low my head is dangerously close to the path of the prop and I’m in a position where I could easily be off balance. I presently stand to the left, a little bit forward of the prop and pull through with one hand… it still feels awkward, but much preferred to my head being inches from the path of the prop. I went through the proping instruction in the class at Oshkosh and the instructors comment was, “Holy crap your head is too dam close to the path of the prop” He had no suggestions to improve safety while proping. Thank you in advance.
Sincerely, Lawrence Watts
Something you could try is to position the lower blade at about 7-8 o’clock and pull it through from below. use your left hand and essentially “walk” towards the left side of the airplane.
I am six foot but had trouble reaching up to the prop on a PT-17 and this technique worked quite well. Just like any hand propping stand close enough so you do NOT lean towards the aircraft and then look where you are walking, not at your hand on the prop. You simply walk across and away from the prop while pulling it through.
Stay aware and stay safe.
The method i mention is the way the Fleet is started at the beginning of the video.
Radials in my experience can start a little easier than flat engines.The A-65 will start well if it has good mags, each engine is a little different as to how much prime, when to prime, how hard to spin it. Remember that with impulse mags you can spin it to fast and prevent the impulse coupler from doing it’s job.