Oh yes. I hand flip a 20" prop on a 43cc gasoline engine and wear a purpose-designed leather glove that has double leather over the fingers and Kevlar between those layers. I have a feeling that baby will break or take a wrist, not just a finger, and treat it as such.

Paid my dues with the old .049 and .15 control-line and free-flight engines. Had my knuckles rapped plenty of times. Usually, it's the unexpected kickback that gets you.

Treat yourself to an electric starter motor. A wonderful thing and it always starts in "forward".