Dennis,
This is normal for starting a non-starter equip plane on floats.
Bill Higdon

dennis brown wrote:
Actually, almost yes.

It was fairly common to start planes from behind the prop. Some had no brakes
so it was safer than trying to start from the front. If they had chocks,
connected by a rope, that would work. But it had the possibility of getting
rope and chocks into the prop.

I have started a plane by standing across the right gear and bringing the
blade down. It was quite comfortable. You're holding onto something
(the struts) and you know the prop is not going to run over you. In my old
age, I don't prop planes.


In article . net, "Steven P.
McNicoll" wrote:

"dennis brown" wrote in message
link.net...

Another reason is that it is easier to reach the prop and pull it down
to start. Have you seen the old picture of the pilot doing this?
Solo. In flight. Prop is stopped. Pilot standing on right gear, left hand
holding onto plane.


So you think Piper put the door on the right side to make inflight hand
propping possible?