[Bill McCarthy]

If I am sitting P2 and the PIC starts singing out temps and pressures during the take off run, it puts me on edge. I don’ t need to hear their self assurance that all is ok - a split second glance around a simple panel is all that ought to be necessary, and keep silence!
Time for renewed nomenclature for checks - hatches are openings that are on ships mainly and aviation has ditched most naval terms for aircraft structure!

[Flintstone]

Not shouting 'clear prop' because you 'know' there's no one around makes an assumption you can't be sure of after you've got in the aircraft and can be unsighted.

Used to drive with a colleague who never used to indicate when he could see no-one was around. His utter confidence in his own ability to see everything around him was the unnerving bit. He didn't understand the potential problem with this habit.

There's a balance to be had. As johnm says, people will do things by rote or in the belief that 'I've indicated so can pull out' or 'I've shouted so can start'. Once that becomes habit it's dangerous. In a driving context I'd rather check my mirrors twice and look over both shoulders (yes, even in a car) than rely on the imaginary protective bubble that indicators provide.

I also have a thing about 'Clear prop!'. I've seen it being done when the aircraft is out in the wilderness with nobody for miles. Why? Are there GA ninjas who spend their time creeping across fields to sit beneath the engine?

And for how long do you see pilots wait between shouting and starting the engine? In many cases it's instant which might give bystanders a nano-second's warning and save them spilling their tea but what about the million-to-one in their blind spot? Will they have time to move? Which takes us back to my first paragraph.

[NDB_hold]

An instructor picked up on the lack of a gap between 'clear prop' and starting, and suggested I call, then prime, then start, which is what I now do. Also avoids a gap while fuel drips out of the bottom of the cylinders...

[Flintstone]

Many years ago there was an article in an Australian magazine about a bush pilot. The interviewer asked him why he had the words 'Clip Clop!' painted on the cowl of his 206.

Translation humour.

[Crash one]

I am in the habit of calling clear prop and then prime, switches, look, start.
Our airfield is normally deserted so clear prop is normally for the benefit of the wild life.
Just about to push the button once, and looking right and left, a guy leaning on the leading edge said " Hi Trev, long time no see".
I just about schit myself.
Proved the point though.

[Crash one]

Here's a prime example of possible cock up.
Sorting the wife's medication just now. I have 9 boxes in a pile on the right, move the boxes to the left as I go.
Get to the morphine box, drop tablet into tub, get distracted, five mins later, where was I?
Pick up morphine box, think, count tablets in the tub, 6, count boxes on the left, 5.
I hadn't put the morphine box to the left.
I don't know whether she could take a double dose of morphine but I'm not about to find out!
Gross error check, 9 on the list, count 9 boxes, count 9 pills, all different.

[Flintstone]

Just about to push the button once, and looking right and left, a guy leaning on the leading edge said " Hi Trev, long time no see".
I just about schit myself.
Proved the point though.

My bold.


So you wouldn't have pushed the button?

Proved the point.

[Crash one]

As far as I remember I didn't push the button, he is still around!

[Flintstone]

Then again, you can't protect some people from themselves.

One night I was starting the engines on a Cessna 402 in order to taxi to the pumps. I'd called out and flashed the lights per normal and had the left engine running in no time. I was about to start the right one when someone appeared next to me by the left wing root/open door. It was one of the cleaners who had somehow managed to walk between the spinning propeller and fuselage.

She was shouting something but unable to make herself heard over the engine and propeller a couple of feet away, she shrugged her shoulders and started to walk away. I grabbed her by the hair with my left hand and pulled the mixture to full lean with my right. Luckily the engine stopped before she broke free.

[Dave W]

I also have a thing about 'Clear prop!'. I've seen it being done when the aircraft is out in the wilderness with nobody for miles. Why? Are there GA ninjas who spend their time creeping across fields to sit beneath the engine?

Apparently so. I was leisurely prepping the aircraft for flight on our little remote field one morning having seen nobody since I turned up. A gentle 30 minutes after arriving I was in the aircraft, strapped in, and looked around before starting. Still deserted.

So my next action was going to be to press the button, except that as my thumb hovered over it I was startled by a rap on the perspex behind me. A wandering yokel had approached directly from the rear, and wanted to know if I could give him directions to the "farmhouse".

I always shout now.

(Thereby, I suppose, running the risk of somebody coming and rapping on the perspex after start. "I heard you shout. Did you want me, mate?")

[muffin]

Many years ago just after I got my PPL, I rented a C150 from a small local flying club. Aware that the CFI was watching me out of the window I took great care on the walk round, checklist in hand, climbed in , strapped in and made sure all was OK. I opened the window to shout Clear Prop and the CFI ambled up to me and tapped on the window, then asked me if I was having trouble trying to find reverse gear? I then looked up and realised that I was parked 6 feet from the wall of his office and facing it!