Hand propping - licensed pilot at the controls?

Is there an FAR or other document (Advisory Circular etc.)
that addresses whether a licensed pilot must be at the
controls ofthe aircraft being started when it is hand
propped? I know the FAA may hit the pilot with careless and
reckless if it gets away, but is it legal to tie the tail
down and start solo, particularly when getting gas at a new
airport? There just aren't that many lineboys or other
pilots who are familiar with hand propping,

No regulation. If anyone is in the cockpit, they must be knowledgeable about
what to do (don't touch ANYTHING!!). Tying the tail down is perfectly
acceptable. I take it that you have never seen anyone on the right side
float of a seaplane, swinging the prop from behind.

Never rely on the brakes or chocks...if the throttle is set too high, the
plane (if not tied to something) will easily jump the chocks. Another ploy
is to prime the engine, then shut off the fuel. There will be enough fuel in
the lines for the engine to start and run for enough time for you to
scramble into the cockpit and turn the fuel back on.

Bob Gardner

"TRA" wrote in message
...
Is there an FAR or other document (Advisory Circular etc.)
that addresses whether a licensed pilot must be at the
controls ofthe aircraft being started when it is hand
propped? I know the FAA may hit the pilot with careless and
reckless if it gets away, but is it legal to tie the tail
down and start solo, particularly when getting gas at a new
airport? There just aren't that many lineboys or other
pilots who are familiar with hand propping,

TRA wrote:

Is there an FAR or other document (Advisory Circular etc.)
that addresses whether a licensed pilot must be at the
controls ofthe aircraft being started when it is hand
propped?

No, that would be a ridiculous reg, essentially making a J3 or PA-11 a
two pilot operation.


I know the FAA may hit the pilot with careless and
reckless if it gets away, but is it legal to tie the tail
down and start solo, particularly when getting gas at a new
airport? There just aren't that many lineboys or other
pilots who are familiar with hand propping,

Figure out what works for you and get on with it.

In article ,
TRA wrote:

Is there an FAR or other document (Advisory Circular etc.)
that addresses whether a licensed pilot must be at the
controls ofthe aircraft being started when it is hand
propped? I know the FAA may hit the pilot with careless and
reckless if it gets away, but is it legal to tie the tail
down and start solo, particularly when getting gas at a new
airport? There just aren't that many lineboys or other
pilots who are familiar with hand propping,

I will have the uninitiated hold the tail before I will put them in the
cockpit. This is if there is not a sufficient tail tie down available.

I used to hand prop a cub on floats.

Stand behind the engine and hook the lefet arm in the door frame use the right arm to
prop the plane. I'd never hand prop a plane from the front.


Paul


On 7 Jul 2006 13:23:02 -0500, TRA wrote:

Is there an FAR or other document (Advisory Circular etc.)
that addresses whether a licensed pilot must be at the
controls ofthe aircraft being started when it is hand
propped? I know the FAA may hit the pilot with careless and
reckless if it gets away, but is it legal to tie the tail
down and start solo, particularly when getting gas at a new
airport? There just aren't that many lineboys or other
pilots who are familiar with hand propping,

In article ,
wrote:

Stand behind the engine and hook the lefet arm in the door frame use the
right arm to
prop the plane. I'd never hand prop a plane from the front.

Hurts like hell when the engine starts and propwash slams the Champ's
door on your fingers, though.

TRA wrote:
Is there an FAR or other document (Advisory Circular etc.)
that addresses whether a licensed pilot must be at the
controls ofthe aircraft being started when it is hand
propped? I know the FAA may hit the pilot with careless and
reckless if it gets away, but is it legal to tie the tail
down and start solo, particularly when getting gas at a new
airport? There just aren't that many lineboys or other
pilots who are familiar with hand propping,

In FAA-H-8083-3A Airplane Flying Handbook, it say Unsupervised "hand
propping" of an airplane should not be attempted by inexperienced
persons. Regardless of the experience level, it should never be
attempted by anyone without adhering to adequate safety measures.
Uninformed or inexperienced persons or nonpilot passengers should never
handle the throttle, brakes, or switches during starting procedures.
The airplane should be securely chocked or tied down, and great care
should be exercised in setting the throttle. It may be well to turn
the fuel selector valve to the "off" position after properly priming
the engine and prior to actually attempting the hand start. After it
starts, the engine will usually run long enough with the fuel "off" to
permit walking around the propeller and turning the fuel selector to
the "on" position.

Also AC 61-98 CURRENCY AND ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR
CERTIFIED PILOTS, talks about hand propping in paragraph 16(b) In
addition to the requirements specified in FAR § 61.31(g), the FAA
recommends that pilots obtain a thorough checkout and transition
training for each make and model of tail wheel airplane to be flown due
to significant differences in operating characteristics of individual
tail wheel airplanes. For example, many older types of tail wheel
airplanes have pronounced or unusual stall and spin characteristics
which differ greatly from those of more recently certificated tail
wheel airplanes. In addition to the requirements specified in FAR §
61.31(g), the FAA recommends that pilots obtain a thorough checkout and
transition training for each make and model of tail wheel airplane to
be flown due to significant differences in operating characteristics of
individual tail wheel airplanes.

The FAA would cite FAR 91.13(a) careless and reckless if something
should go wrong while hand propping. The FAA would also cite FAR
91.103 Preflight Action.

Based on the above two rules the FAA would look at why you were hand
propping when something went bad such as:
1. Was the battery dead or low?
2. Did you follow the flight manual procedures?
3. Were the brakes set and chocked.
4. Was the tail ties down.
5. Was a passenger onboard.

Not knowing how to hand prop will get the FAA to look at your
competency and may require you to go through a 44709 re-examination.

Be careful and be safe.

Stache

Stache wrote
Not knowing how to hand prop will get the FAA to look at your
competency and may require you to go through a 44709 re-examination.

Bull****!!! You don't even need a pilot certificate in order to
handprop an airplane or to taxi one either.

Bob Moore
ATP CFI-I

Stache wrote:
snip
Not knowing how to hand prop will get the FAA to look at your
competency and may require you to go through a 44709 re-examination.

If that's true, why isn't hand propping listed in any PTS?

john smith wrote in news:jsmith-A1235F.18500207072006
@network-065-024-007-028.columbus.rr.com:

In article ,
wrote:

Stand behind the engine and hook the lefet arm in the door frame use the
right arm to
prop the plane. I'd never hand prop a plane from the front.

Hurts like hell when the engine starts and propwash slams the Champ's
door on your fingers, though.

But it probably hurts a lot less then getting that REALLY CLOSE SHAVE when
standing in front of the prop as it jumps chocks...