Hey guys,
I've been flying r/c planes for a little over a year now and I have learned very very very much, although there is one thing that I feel that I'm not doing right. In the past month 2 or 3 guys at my airfield have had incidents with props, and I want to make sure that what I'm doing is right.

Here's my usual routine:
1. Have the plane plane situated to where the person holding the plane for me can easily hold the plane back without having to reach across the table.
2. Have my 13 yr old brother hold plane by wing and fuse
3. Insert glow driver
4. Make sure nothing is near the prop
5. Start the plane with my starter. I hold it in my right hand and put my left hand toward the front of fuse. *Plane is not straight on, so my left hand/arm isn't hanging over prop.
6. Take the Glow driver out... I don't think I shouldn't do it, but I usually reach over the prop and take it out. The more I think about it, it sounds like a big no-no.
7. Have assistant pick up plane, get tx off bench, extend antenna and warm engine up before takeoff.

How do those starting steps look to you, what am I doing wrong and right?

Now if I didn't have anyone there to hold the plane for me is there another way I can do this safely? I feel awkward starting the plane, then taking it off the bench, yet having to grab my Tx at the same time to carry it to the taxi lane/runway. What are my options? Thanks for your help, and hopefully we can all learn something from this thread!

-Brian

Seems like you're on the right track but heres a few suggestions. First you should have a tailhook system for your airplane - this is jusy a "Y" shaped bar (you can make easily).This goes just forward of your stab to hold the plane from going forward. You can still have someone hold the plane but this is security it can not move more forward than the tailhook. Second you're ok to attatch your glow driver after the rx and tx are turned on. If someone is holding the plane they should be able to hold it from moving back when you turn the engine with your starter. I know it is a hard habit to break but why risk reaching over the prop? You should also have the tx within easy reach of where you are stating the plane in case you need to get to it fast. ie - if you leave you throttle open by mistake etc. Another good habit to get into is as soon as the engine is runnig go behind the prop and the run it up and remove the glow driver. It sounds like you already have safety in mind and perhaps these suggestions will make it even safer. Happy flying and keep thoose digits!

When I started in this hobby, I thought I needed a tailhook, but after going to the field several times, I found that no one is using one. Why is this? I even have the materials here to build one, just have not done it yet..

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1. Have the plane plane situated to where the person holding the plane for me can easily hold the plane back without having to reach across the table.
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7. Have assistant pick up plane, get tx off bench, extend antenna and warm engine up before takeoff.
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Am I reading this right?
You start the engie on a bench/table? Then pick up the machine with a running engine and transport it somewhere?

Believe me, I am definitely NOT one of those guys that are self-certified *safety-experts* however it appears you are setting up a dangerous situation.
I firmly believe that the engine should be started at the point from which you are to start the taxi-out.
While reaching over a spinning prop for any reason is not a recommended procedure, I do it all the time. OTOH, I never position myself or anyone in the extended plane outside the prop's arc, during the initial start phase.
When training beginners, I am rough on them to:
(1) Be certain that the entire area in front of the model is clear of cords, loose tools, etc that could be sucked into a spinning prop.
(2) Have the transmitter within adequate position allowing a quick shutdown of the engine if needed.
(3) Never get hurried. Watch everything, and stay CLEAR of that prop.

i have to agree, starting on a table is a bad idea. just a couple of weeks ago a member of our club started his plane on a table, and when he went to pick up his transmitter he bumped the throttle, sending the plane off the table, luckily to nose in and break the prop/stop the engine. of course, had he used someone to hold the plane, that wouldn't have happened, but it did. i'm positive this scenario has happened elsewhere, or will happen. i'm a big fan of starting planes near the flight line, on the ground. i don't start them up behind people, and i only use a table when i'm starting one without landing gear.

also, i bet if you really checked into it, you'd find that most people don't get hurt because of bad technique, they get hurt because of complacency. they get careless and stick their hand through the prop. the most important thing, no matter what you do, is to PAY ATTENTION to what YOU are doing.

I would recommend NOT reaching over the prop to remove a glow driver. I believe in positive habit transfer as a learning mechanism. This this negative habit (reaching over prop) may work for a 10 inch prop but if you start flying larger glow engines that use 16-18 inch props, you may, by habit, hurt yourself.

As soon as I start my engines, I move to the back of the airplane to remove glow drivers, check throttle response, and make adjustments as necessary.

I start up much the same way on the ground. We have stooges at the field. They are PVC pipes in a square "U" shape and they slide down in pvc pipe in the ground. There is water heater insulation tubes on the pvc to protect the plan. This is placed just in front of the stab as indicated. In fact I have seen these stooges sold that you press right into the ground and then they fold down. In our case when we are ready to taxi we just pull the stooge out of the piping in the ground.

As far as reaching around the prop, I have scars from 19 stitches because I got complacent. I have seen a thread on RCU where it has been suggested to make bigger more diliberate moves. That way you concentrate on where you are moving your hand/arm. To get me in the habit of removing the glow starter from behind, before I unclip in, I deliberately take my starter to my field box behind the plane so that when I go for the glow clip I approach it from behind.

I really believe in having a stoge to hold the model. Every station at our field has one and knowone starts with out it - Safety Nazi would be on your back in a second. They are vey easy to make out of PVC and all you need to do is dig a one foot hole in the ground to anchor the support part of the stoge. As for reaching over the prop, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, do that. Just go behind the model to make your adjustments or remove the glow starter. Really saves fingers. Be concerned about safety as it is no accident. Range check before your first flight, and double check everything you can possiblly think of. Saves Airplanes and the money in your Wallet.

Above all be safe and have fun at the same time.

I agree with using a "stooge" to hold the plane when starting. And NEVER starting on a table.

Walking around the plane to remove the glow igniter is the best idea. I didn't use to, but got complacent one day too. Reached through the spinning prop and split my thumbnail right down the middle. Hurt like the devil, bled like you can't imagine, and took a long time to heal. (And I consider myself lucky!)

The easiest way to make a stooge is with a LARGE screwdriver and a long piece of rope tied into a loop. Push the screwdriver firmly into the ground, then loop the rope around the tail feathers and over the handle. (Try it a couple times, you'll figure out how.)
Dennis-

A long time flier in our club caused us to call 911 today.......he reached over the prop to remove his glow power cord.

Took about 1/4 inch off from the inside of the middle finger of his left hand. Almost to the bone.

We found most of it and the fire department took it and our old timer to the emergency hospital for repairs.

NEVER reach over the prop.......always from the back

Happen less than two hours ago....I had to go home.

Another small tip, to avoid accidentally bumping the throttle: when holding, the transmitter place your thumb over the stick directly on top of the gimbal. With your thumb holding it in position it can't be acidentally bumped to a higher position.

Maybe I wasn't being specific enough on step #7.... this is what I meant:

7)Have assistant pick up plane, I go around and grab Tx, then have assistant take it out to the taxi way, then he holds it and I run it up.

I agree that starting it on the table in the pits isn't safe, but since I've been in the club many people have been doing it this way, so I thought that it was the right way to do it. What I need to do now is modify my field box so I can take out the battery portion of the box/power panel so it is like the caddy master or whatever that thing is that hobbico sells. Another point to mention is that my glow driver is corded. Maybe I should consider investing in a cordless glow driver, so i could pull it out once I've got the plane in front of me and not have to worry about cords from the glow driver also.


Thanks for the help!

-Brian

I have an added safety procedure that should be done first. TX on first....turn on plane... and then move a control surface to verify. Now..set that throttle to your start position!
This may sound elementary, but believe me, MANY accidents have happened because the radio and plane was off. I had a guy watch me like a hawk when I would start my plane. He "pressured" me to learn this habit. Well guess what? Yesterday I was careless and left my plane/tx off and started at almost full throttle. Thank God for my goal post restraint!!! I made this aluminum fold down goal post restraint about a year ago. It saved my bacon yesterday! As most all have said: start on the ground and use a restraint of some kind!!! ..... lownslo...... Bob

PS.. Not in the picture is the long 1/4" dia. rod that is the positive locking device that goes through both sides.

Lot's of good suggestions here.

One thing not mentioned is to make sure neither you nor anyone else is in the plane of the prop. In other words, nobody within, say 5 feet of the side of the plane, or above the prop. I've never seen a prop fly apart, but I've seen one come off the engine and stick in a guys forehead (he was fine but it only missed his eye by 1/2 an inch). In fact, the guy wasn't directly above the prop, which headed slightly forward after coming off the engine. What happened was his son was kneeling in front of the engine with the starter (which is a safe position), but the Dad was behind him and sort of leaning over to watch what was going on.

I think that safety in these situations is in procedure. On full scale planes, the pre flight inspection is done exactly the same way every time. So is the run up before taking off. If anything is out of the ordinary, it will feel wrong. I always start my engine the same way. I NEVER change this procedure. This is more important than each individual step. I am always to the side of the plane when I hit it with the electric starter. I always oull my hand all the way into my body and then back toward the plane to pull off the glow starter. The important part is that this is very well ingrained, trained, burmed in habit. I will NEVER have the tendency to do it any other way. Procedure, procedure, procedure.

I think that safety in these situations is in procedure. On full scale planes, the pre flight inspection is done exactly the same way every time. So is the run up before taking off. If anything is out of the ordinary, it will feel wrong. I always start my engine the same way. I NEVER change this procedure. This is more important than each individual step. I am always to the side of the plane when I hit it with the electric starter. I always oull my hand all the way into my body and then back toward the plane to pull off the glow starter. The important part is that this is very well ingrained, trained, burmed in habit. I will NEVER have the tendency to do it any other way. Procedure, procedure, procedure.

THANK YOU!!!! this is the most overlooked part... this should be extended to include run up also.. you got a 360 degree spinning disk that could depart in ANY direction.. but i myself am guilty go reaching over the prop but i make exaggerated movements to ensure that the prop and i do not become one!!!