earlwb

I use a leather glove (motocross motorcycle) with extra padding on the back of the fingers and hand. But a glove helps protect against the sharp trailing edge on many props. Plus it takes some of the sting out of a kickback besides helping to prevent nasty cuts. I have dealt with a few gas engines over the years that were not fun to start. They would intermittently deal you some nasty wacks no matter what you did. I resorted to using a rope pull on one vicious recalcitrant engine that didn't have a spark retard system built in. That was before we had electronic ignition systems. I gave up on the engine, but later converted it to a glow engine and then it turned out to be a really nice good engine then.

In the video above, the guy had the plane in a cradle engine/plane test stand, so he didn't need a second person to hold the plane for him. But it would be wise to have one. I remember once where someone had the wing fail when he was running up a engine in a cradle test stand. Then there was the guy who had the tail retraint unit fail when the horizontal stab collapsed or failed on him.

hooker53

My Feedback: (106)

I do it like this all the time. I just don't cut the Ign. switch on till I get ready to do the starting flip and I don't hold the plane with my left hand.

WindGap

My Feedback: (3)

Yeah, I don't think I'd do it this way either, but I don't reach over the prop either.  To each his own.  I've had the prop kick off and go flying before.  Prop nuts are metal and metal changes w/temp.