Day dreaming about airplanes.

[David MacRay]

Buy this. No hand propping.

https://www.controller.com/listing/for- ... e-aircraft

[Big Pistons Forever]

Buy this. No hand propping.

https://www.controller.com/listing/for- ... e-aircraft

Good lord, when did simple rag and tube Pipers become so expensive

[David MacRay]

25 years ago. I know what you mean though. I’m also looking for a nice 182 with a fresh engine for $15,000.

[Liquid_Charlie]

Hand spanking was just a fact of life when I was learning to fly. Small aircraft like this when you were doing it by yourself we always flipped the prop from behind which gave you an unobstructed access to the cockpit.

Brings back memories

[David MacRay]

I have seen someone hand prop from behind the prop on YouTube, of course I can’t find it now.

[David MacRay]

Found one.



I’m kind of surprised that hand propping from between the prop and the cabin door is not more common. Seems like a better way to do it.

One other good tip I heard watching one was, turning the fuel off. Then if a bunch of things go wrong, it will stop running when the float bowl is emptied.

[vanNostrum]

Preferred method

[Big Pistons Forever]

Every CPL I trained got a lesson on hand propping. They then had to, without any help, hand prop the plane once with me watching but not saying/doing anything.

The other instructors reaction to this varied from incredulity, to no thanks, to passing it off as a BPF eccentricity

However if one of my guys got stuck in some strip/dock in the middle of nowhere with a dead battery they had the skills to get it going and get home.

[Slick Goodlin]

I’m kind of surprised that hand propping from between the prop and the cabin door is not more common. Seems like a better way to do it.

I’ve tried it and am not a fan. When I prop from in front I can very naturally step away from the plane as I pull the blade through, from behind it almost feels like the motion pulls me forward toward the prop. It may be related to my being a human Sasquatch as I’m also very uncomfortable hand propping anything with a low prop shaft for much the same reason. If the middle of the prop is very far below the middle of my chest I tap out and let someone else do it.

I bet flipping a prop from behind feels really natural to anyone with time in a J-3 on floats.

[Liquid_Charlie]

On floats there are very few option other than from behind. Beaver starts pretty easily. Single otter -- no geared engines are more difficult.

I have hand spanked a DC3 with no added tools such as a rope. Two guys grabbing and running with the prop works. When we were out and about one could get pretty creative to get an aeroplane going. I can remember banging on a 2Otter starter with a 2x4 and it worked -

We always carried spare tyers with us and changed them ourselves. That's all in the past now. Is it legal and cover your ass are the catch phrases of today. Does that make it better, I'm not sure.