Hand Propping

[Antique Pilot]

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Here is a mint 1955 Cessna 180 reduced to rubble. The pilot was hand propping the aircraft by himself. It started up and rapidlly accelerated into the shoreline of a small lake between Pickle Lake and Cat Lake.

AP

[crazyaviator]

It amazes me that there isnt a hand propping school out there and mandated hand propping class for all PPL holders

[SuperchargedRS]

It amazes me that there isnt a hand propping school out there and mandated hand propping class for all PPL holders

That was a lot of airplane for a fresh PPL

[Antique Pilot]

Very unfortunate, don't make assumptions AP didn't say it was a fresh PPL and I've seen this done by the experienced one's in the business !!!!!!

Mapleflt

Pilot was a very experienced CPL.

AP.

[oldtimer]

I watched a crew start a Beech 18 by wrapping a rope around the propeller hub and pulling the rope with a Skidoo.
I hand propped a Cessna 180 on skiis by slipping the looped end if a rope around a prop blade and pulled. Got the beast started.
I found a 6 cylinder engine very difficult and dangerous to hand spike. A low compression 4 banger is much easier.

But the very best procedure I saw was actually in a very funny cartoon. A WW1 bomber with a big 4 blade prop. One Prussian soldier had one arm around the prop blade and the other hooked in a companion Prussian soldier who also had his arms hooked with 4 other Prussian soldeirs except for the last in the chain. That Prussian soldier hung onto a big German Shepard dog. Ahead a few yards was the final Prussian soldier who was about to release the cat he had in a cage.

[matt foley]

Ever had to hand start a PA31 by yourself? Keep in mind that the mags are not energized unless the starter switch is pressed and its spring loaded. What body heat is generated from flipping the prop over and over is more than welcome after searching in knee deep snow for a branch to wedge between the drivers seat and the overhead panel. Good times! Only slightly less entertaining is the sequence of events that erupts after kicking the 185 off the river bank into a brisk flowing river only to hear "click click". After liftoff and looking down one may start to contemplate the consequences should the engine roared to life and the afore mentioned went for a swim. Alas, these things work out more often than not.

MF

[Meatservo]

I forget what I was doing or why I was there but I was on a lake near Pickle Lake and found up among the trees a piece of metal that was clearly the bottom rear corner of the door sill from a Cessna 180. I wonder if it was that one.

[Antique Pilot]

I forget what I was doing or why I was there but I was on a lake near Pickle Lake and found up among the trees a piece of metal that was clearly the bottom rear corner of the door sill from a Cessna 180. I wonder if it was that one.

Check your PM's.

AP

[springlocked]

In the day I have hand spanked many types. I never had to resort to things like ropes or mechanized assistance. A junior actually starts easily while the hordyne was likely the worst, even more difficult than a DC3 which with just 2 guys and not a line of Arien race armed with a dog the -92 will go with a cpl of flips now the -94 is another answer, I'm not sure if 2 could start that cranky old engine. I have witnessed someone start a goose with their foot and while I would always start a beech on floats from behind but on the float I have been told of guys sitting on top of the cowl and flipping it from there. I have also witnessed a guy stuck on the float of a beech (no not me--haha) but it could have happened. He steered the aircraft in circles until someone rescued him with a boat. Long before the days of mobile phones and digital cameras - damn

[rigpiggy]

[PZL 1000]

R985's that were timed right were easy..

I spent 45 minutes trying to handprop a PZL 1000 one day. It took my shoulder about 6 months to get better. Unfortunately it had been retrofitted with a DC3 starter. Aircraft with the inertial starter weighed more but you could start them with a handcrank and a bit of sweat...

[springlocked]

I spent 45 minutes trying to handprop a PZL 1000 one day.

I'm not familiar with the conversion but if it has a geared prop it's a different ball game - Norseman with 1340 was pretty easy to hand spank but an Otter was not -- but enquiring minds have to know --------- did it start

[Meatservo]

The most difficult plane to hand-prop in my opinion was the Caravan -no compression.

[PZL 1000]

I hand-propped a Cessna 180 for nearly a month one winter until I could get south to do my 50 hr inspection and get a new battery. It was a piece of cake. One cranky old airport manager at CZGR thought it was a dangerous thing to do and educating her was impossible due to her lack of cells. I once flew a J-3 Cub around northern Ontario in February looking for work. It did not have the optional starter or cabin heat. Luckily it started easy. The C185 was a much more difficult beast to hand crank because the one I flew had the primer pump removed. You had one shot at it and then you needed to jump-start it or fly in a new battery. The Beaver was easy. The PZL Otter damn near impossible (with a DC3 starter).

[Adam Oke]

I've hand bombed a J3, Chief, Luscombe, Pawnee, Ag Truck, Citab, C180, and Super Cub. All of which weren't too bad. The IO-550 Ag Truck was the worst to hand bomb hot....and probably the aircraft I hand bombed the most due to her frequent desire to persuade the alternator to shit the bed.

I've watched an Ag Cat get a flick start. For some reason I find it impressive, but the 1340 seems to fire up with ease.

[Adam Oke]

The most difficult plane to hand-prop in my opinion was the Caravan -no compression.

I see what you did right there...

[PZL 1000]

I spent 45 minutes trying to handprop a PZL 1000 one day.

I'm not familiar with the conversion but if it has a geared prop it's a different ball game - Norseman with 1340 was pretty easy to hand spank but an Otter was not -- but enquiring minds have to know --------- did it start

Not even a little

[tractor driver]

I've hand bombed many types like several others on this forum. We did teach new pilots getting their float endorsements how to hand flip the J-3. Always did so with the fuel selector set to "off". If things went bad, the plane wouldn't get far.

g

[crazyaviator]

Im a bit of a chicken and therefore like to hand prop the plane from behind ( dont think dirty there) especially on floats I will do the conventional way, but its my plane or a known pilot at the controls

[Bede]

I hand propped a Cessna 207 once. I tried a PA31 but I couldn't get it going. (The PA31 doesn't have impulse coupling so you need someone to hold the starter switch while you swing it). In the end I hooked up a set of jumper cables to a loader to get it going- not fun to work the cables in the front baggage compartment with a prop whizzing by your head 2 feet away.