For Sale: Taylorcraft Project

Please see http://members.cox.net/mhorowit/
for details. - Mike

"Michael Horowitz" wrote in message
...
Please see http://members.cox.net/mhorowit/
for details. - Mike


Sorry that happened to you, Mike. I didn't know it was that bad.

Until a few years ago my T-Craft got propped mostly from the front. After
owning a Taylorcraft since the mid-80's, I guess it's been luck keeping the
ol' bird out of trouble.

A few years ago a west-coast seaplaner in our T-Craft club sold $5
FAA-approved videos on how to hand-prop from behind the prop--- on the right
side of the aircraft --- so that you could be at the controls, or at least
have ready access to them.. That's the best way to do it to keep the
aircraft from running off all by itself or flying away like a drone. FAA
rules require a person of suitable age and discretion to be at the controls
when the aircraft is hand-propped.

Yeah, I know. I'm being an ass lecturing on how to hand-prop while you're
going through the grieving process. Apology.

jls wrote:

FAA
rules require a person of suitable age and discretion to be at the
controls
when the aircraft is hand-propped.


Good advice, but how is that accomplished these days when the airports
are SO dead that there's beans and corn growing in the terminal building
in the layer of dust on the counter and you're out there by yourself
(like I am 99.5% of the time at my airport) ???

The best way to avoid runaways is to simply use a rope between the
tailspring and a hangar post or fence post or airport tie-down ring.

Sad to see this sort of thing happen

One thing I ALWAYS do before flipping my prop is to VISUALLY look at the
throttle control arm on the carb to be SURE it's at idle.

Very sorry to hear of the loss!!!

Scott "never owned a plane with an electric starter" Littfin
Corben Junior Ace

"Scott" wrote in message
...
jls wrote:

FAA
rules require a person of suitable age and discretion to be at the
controls
when the aircraft is hand-propped.


Good advice, but how is that accomplished these days when the airports
are SO dead that there's beans and corn growing in the terminal building
in the layer of dust on the counter and you're out there by yourself
(like I am 99.5% of the time at my airport) ???

The best way to avoid runaways is to simply use a rope between the
tailspring and a hangar post or fence post or airport tie-down ring.

Yeah, that's safe and legal too. Forrest Barber's T-Craft club even shows
you how to use a snap-shackle when you want to release the rope on the
tailspring -- from the cockpit. And some people install a glider tow. It
may be expensive but a better idea when you consider the consequences of
losing one.

That five-dollar video had a clip of a Cessna 120 getting loose with a
non-pilot girlfriend inside and the engine revved up wide open. An FAA
agent with a video camera just happened to be on the airport when the event
occurred. For a while the aircraft dragged the pilot, who hung on a strut,
in a circle until the ramp had removed some of his shoes, pants and skin.
According to the narrator, the passenger put her foot on one brake pedal,
thinking it controlled both wheels. After a while the wildly careening
aircraft finally dumped the pilot and roared off and slammed into another
airplane and a hangar, iirc. Somebody borrowed that tape and never returned
it. It was like a 3200--- coveted.

I wonder if that gal was ever persuaded to take another airplane ride.

That's a great tape. It even shows some limber-legged guy propping an
Ercoupe with his foot. And one of the narrators is a lady --- a real
looker.

On Wed, 24 Aug 2005 12:56:31 +0000, Scott wrote:

jls wrote:

FAA
rules require a person of suitable age and discretion to be at the
controls when the aircraft is hand-propped.

Good advice, but how is that accomplished these days when the airports
are SO dead that there's beans and corn growing in the terminal building
in the layer of dust on the counter and you're out there by yourself
(like I am 99.5% of the time at my airport) ???

The best way to avoid runaways is to simply use a rope between the
tailspring and a hangar post or fence post or airport tie-down ring.

Or a remote-release hook, either those made for towing gliders ($$$$) or a
homemade one. One guy on this page had a pretty slick setup...the hook was
released by pressing the left rudder pedal all the way. See the last picture
on:

http://www.bowersflybaby.com/tech/tailhook.html

In my ~7 years of flying the original Fly Baby, there was only twice that I was
unable to find a tiedown rope or an anchor point for my own rope. Once was on a
grass strip in the middle of nowhere, the second time is when the engine quietly
went to sleep on final approach on a 15-degree day.

Ron Wanttaja

Ron Wanttaja wrote:


Or a remote-release hook, either those made for towing gliders ($$$$) or a
homemade one. One guy on this page had a pretty slick setup...the hook was
released by pressing the left rudder pedal all the way. See the last picture
on:

http://www.bowersflybaby.com/tech/tailhook.html

In my ~7 years of flying the original Fly Baby, there was only twice that I was
unable to find a tiedown rope or an anchor point for my own rope. Once was on a
grass strip in the middle of nowhere, the second time is when the engine quietly
went to sleep on final approach on a 15-degree day.

Ron Wanttaja

I like it Why did he go for the foot release as opposed to a hand
release?

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

On Wed, 24 Aug 2005 09:33:50 -0500, "Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired"
wrote:

Ron Wanttaja wrote:


Or a remote-release hook, either those made for towing gliders ($$$$) or a
homemade one. One guy on this page had a pretty slick setup...the hook was
released by pressing the left rudder pedal all the way.

I like it Why did he go for the foot release as opposed to a hand
release?

He would have had to run a new cable all the way back from the cockpit to the
tailwheel for a hand release. His setup attached the release link for the
tailhook to the same horn that steered the tailwheel, hence the regular rudder
cable did the duty.

The only possible drawback might be to foul the rudder control, but the release
chain for the tailhook (the small chain with a yellow plastic crimp sleeve) had
a quick-disconnect feature that made it pop off when the tension rose past that
needed to release the hook

http://www.bowersflybaby.com/tech/mike'shook3.JPG

Ron Wanttaja

I thought only Harley's got "kick-started"

Scott




That's a great tape. It even shows some limber-legged guy propping an
Ercoupe with his foot. And one of the narrators is a lady --- a real
looker.

Urban myth. There is no FAR which sez anything like 'a competent person
at the controls'. There are other sources, and itis a good idea, but
no 'rule'. Believe me, when I was preparing for my visit with the FSDO
I did the research. IMHO the absolutely best thing to do (which I did
not) is to TIE IT DOWN!!!! which I will never forget again, believe me
.. FYI, the Examiner and I believe the cause of the memory lapse was
that coming off an emotional experience (a very successful XC, about
which I was very excited), I let my attention wander. - Mike

It would be a bit difficult proping a seaplane from the front, so I
guess it's not a bad idea to stand behind the prop on the float;
however, for a land plane, (unless you do something bizarre like I did)
proping from the front is safe (if you are taught how to be out of the
way when the engine catches). - Mike