Not all turbine engine starts are automatic, not just the
PT6, but other pure jets require a fair amount of skill to
not burn up the engine on starting.

The PT6 air-flow is not straight thru, but enters at the
rear and goes forward.

BTW, jets are round too.


"john smith" wrote in message
...
| DEDICATED TO ALL THOSE WHO FLEW BEHIND ROUND ENGINES
|
| We gotta get rid of those turbines, they're ruining
aviation and our
| hearing...
|
| A turbine is too simple minded, it has no mystery. The air
travels
| through it in a straight line and doesn't pick up any of
the pungent
| fragrance of engine oil or pilot sweat.
|
| Anybody can start a turbine. You just need to move a
switch from "OFF"
| to "START" and then remember to move it back to "ON" after
a while. My
| PC is harder to start.
|
| Cranking a round engine requires skill, finesse and style.
You have to
| seduce it into starting. It's like waking up a beautiful
and classy
| mistress. Treat her right and you're in for a thrill.
Abuse her and
| you'll regret it!!!!
|
| On some turbine planes, the pilots aren't even allowed to
start the
| engine...
| Turbines start by whining for a while, and then give a
lady-like poof
| and start whining a little louder.
|
| Round engines give a satisfying rattle-rattle,
click-click, BANG, more
| rattles, another BANG, a big macho explosion or two, more
clicks, a lot
| more smoke and finally a serious low pitched roar. We like
that. It's a
| GUY thing...
|
| When you start a round engine, your mind is engaged and
you can
| concentrate on the flight ahead. Starting a turbine is
like flicking on
| a ceiling fan: Useful, but hardly exciting.
|
| When you have started his round engine successfully your
Crew Chief
| looks up at you like he'd let you kiss his girl, too!
|
| Turbines don't break or catch fire often enough, which
leads to aircrew
| boredom, complacency and inattention. A round engine at
speed looks and
| sounds like it's going to blow any minute. This helps
concentrate the
| mind!
|
| Turbines don't have enough control levers or gauges to
keep a pilot's
| attention. There's nothing to fiddle with during long
flights.
|
| Turbines smell like a Boy Scout camp full of Coleman
Lamps. Round
| engines smell like God intended machines to smell.