ORIGINAL: RCKen
This is an issue that your club is going to have to work out. No matter what we tell you here the club field practices will win out as they dictate how things are run at your club. Bring this issue up to your club president.
This is very true. As one of our club board members, this is an issue that we would need to deal with to make sure is was fair to all
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Our club has quite a few of this benches as well. But I would rather start my planes on the ground. It's how I've always done it and I'm comfortable doing it this way. A tent stake a piece of rope restrains the plane while I start it and run up the engine. Simple, easy, and almost fool proof.
Us old guys are not so steady getting up from kneeling down starting and engine. A couple of the older guys who always start on the ground scare me to death watching them wobbleing aroung getting up after the engine is running. The bench starts are much less likely prevent an injury
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A simple stand made out of PVC is easy to build and will hold your plane for working on it, fueling, or assembly. But isn't strong enough to hold the plane while it's running. Any stand you build that folds up and goes into your car is more than likely not going to be sturdy enough to restrain a plane while you run the engine.</p>
Ken
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Ken, this is the best advise you have given and thats saying a lot. I've watched some guys use the light weight stands as a starting stand and it is scarry. On guy had a plane get away from him last year on one of these light weight stands and it ate his hand. If your stand isn't strong enough that you can grab the prop an pull until the airframe start breaking it isn't strong enought.
Don
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