Match: #138 (Localized search active near current match!)
Message: #90619
From: "Eustace Bowhay" <ebowhay(at)jetstream.net>
Subject: Hand Propping
Hand Propping
Date: Dec 15, 2001



The first job I had after getting out of the RCAF after WW ll. was
instructing and flying charter with a small flying school and charter
operation at Calgary, Alberta. They had taken delivery of two of the
first Aeronca Champs produced after the war, for those not familiar with
them they are a two place  high wing tandem taildragger,  rag and tube
construction with dual controls, heel brakes and in those days equipped
with a 65 HP Continental  and later a 85 HP turning a wood prop. They
had no electrical system, no starter and the instruments consisted of a
tachometer, airspeed indicator ,venturi tube T&B and a compass.

The instructor sat in the back so had very little forward visibility.
The first thing we did with a new student was completely familiarize
them with the starting procedure, parked into wind, full up
elevator,throttle setting, priming (they were equipped with a plunge
type primer) holding the brakes and handling the mags. The student sat
in the front seat and followed the instructions as called out by the
instructor who did the swing. Started on the left mag (retarded) only
and throttle set just above idle, doing this several times a day you got
to know just how much prime was required and it usually would start on
the first swing, student would come back to idle so you could get the
door open wide enough to hop in. The early models had no parking brake
and the heal brakes didn't supply much drag so one had to  be real
careful with the throttle. Using chocks is not really an option since
you have to dig them out with the engine running.

That first year I sat in the back seat for 1120 hours and had about 1400
starts with no real starting thrills until one day a rather impatient
fellow that we had sold a Champ  to decided to start and leave on his
own. He was parked about a hundred yards away in front of our hangar. He
propped it with the throttle well advanced and of course no brakes, he
just had time to jump out of the way and grab the struts as it went by,
this started a wide circling maneuver on the ramp. I ran out to see what
was going on and here is this guy hanging to the strut with his heals
dug in on the asphalt and the champ is gradually picking up speed, I
don,t know what came first either he ran out of wind or his heels wore
down to his socks but he had to let go and the Champ straightened out
and headed right at the hangar doors. Fortunately they were closed and
were about four inches thick, the hangar was full of aircraft. The champ
just got airborne as it hit the hanger door, from the inside you could
see the crankshaft sticking through. Needless to say it didn't do the
Champ any good.

Eustace Bowhay  Blind Bay, B.C.




End Msg: #138 (Localized search active near current match!)

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