Take one more step and I will Kill.....my engine
Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 6:16 am
It was a very nice evening and I was looking forward to some nice flying for this late in the year. Just as I am heading out to my plane a friend stops by. We talked a little and he said he would like to take some pics sometime of me flying my plane.
I told him he was in luck for I was just heading out to do a little flying. He thought this was great and off we headed to the hangar.
I went over my preflight explaining everything I do to keep my focused from my friends distractions. After a very detailed walk around I gave my friend instructions on how or from what direction I would take off, I also went over a flight plane with him so he knew what I would do after take off.
My friend said great he would go where I stated and take pics. I climbed into my bird and get all settled in, yell clear prop and fire her up.
As I am setting there warming her up and getting ready for my flight I see my friend walk around and in front of my wing. I am waving my arms and yelling but he see's none of it for looking at his camera. He believes I am doing this for the camera. I reach for the kill switch. I hold onto that kill switch knowing this friend is going to step into this prop.
As I sit thier I watch one foot go foward and I kill the engine, my friend walks right into the prop arc. Now I have the canopy open and am yelling at him to step back and never walk into a prop. We both where really lucky that prop stopped by the time he reached it.
You know what, he really never got it. I could see it on his face. He had no idea why I was upset, he just smiled. I have not spoke with him since, for he drove off after I took off, but the first time I see him, lets just say I am chewing his A## and teaching him something at the same time, for he wants to come and take pics again sometime.
Lesson I learned from this:
If friends come by to watch you fly, do not start your plane until they are away from your hangar out where you want them to watch from.
Going over your flight plan is not enough, one must explain the most simple things, like do not walk into a moving prop. I told him at the time never walk in front of a planes wings when the engine is running but it needs to go deeper then that.
What I hold as com-in-cents some just do not see it that way.
This happened two days ago.
Tony
I told him he was in luck for I was just heading out to do a little flying. He thought this was great and off we headed to the hangar.
I went over my preflight explaining everything I do to keep my focused from my friends distractions. After a very detailed walk around I gave my friend instructions on how or from what direction I would take off, I also went over a flight plane with him so he knew what I would do after take off.
My friend said great he would go where I stated and take pics. I climbed into my bird and get all settled in, yell clear prop and fire her up.
As I am setting there warming her up and getting ready for my flight I see my friend walk around and in front of my wing. I am waving my arms and yelling but he see's none of it for looking at his camera. He believes I am doing this for the camera. I reach for the kill switch. I hold onto that kill switch knowing this friend is going to step into this prop.
As I sit thier I watch one foot go foward and I kill the engine, my friend walks right into the prop arc. Now I have the canopy open and am yelling at him to step back and never walk into a prop. We both where really lucky that prop stopped by the time he reached it.
You know what, he really never got it. I could see it on his face. He had no idea why I was upset, he just smiled. I have not spoke with him since, for he drove off after I took off, but the first time I see him, lets just say I am chewing his A## and teaching him something at the same time, for he wants to come and take pics again sometime.
Lesson I learned from this:
If friends come by to watch you fly, do not start your plane until they are away from your hangar out where you want them to watch from.
Going over your flight plan is not enough, one must explain the most simple things, like do not walk into a moving prop. I told him at the time never walk in front of a planes wings when the engine is running but it needs to go deeper then that.
What I hold as com-in-cents some just do not see it that way.
This happened two days ago.
Tony