ORIGINAL: sirrom
I think what happens is people get complacent when it comes to this hobby.
Just treat these motors with a whole lot of respect when dealing with them and for heavens sake PAY ATTENTION to what the hell you are doing.
Patrick
OH, SO RIGHT !!!!!
I've been playing this game for more than 50 yrs & I still get chomped from time to time. It isn't that I don't know better -- I surely do, but I just get complacent.
My last brain fart saw me reach through the arc of a prop from behind to flip the cover back onto a power switch receptacle. I was following all of the rules -- plane restrained -- started electrically with my bod out of the arc -- stood behind for the engine run-up & needle adjustment. Then I saw that the cover on the charging receptacle had flipped open. Since this was a flying boat, I didn't want water in the switch SO I REACHED THROUGH THE ARC OF THE PROP TO CLOSE THE COVER!!!!!!!
Those 12-4 APC hand-manglers do a fabulous job on human flesh & bone. The only thing that saved me from an amputation was the fact that I was at least smart enough to pull the throttle back to idle before I reached through the prop.
This is stupid complacency. Props scare the hell out of me, & I know from experience what they can do -- but I just didn't think.
STAY ALERT & BE TERRIFIED OF PROPS.