Fatal Injury: hit by the prop

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 at 18:32:26 in message
. net, Hilton
wrote:
When I solo a student, we taxi to a not busy spot, shutdown, chat about what
we had just done, what he/she should do, how it'll feel different without me
there, sign the papers, emphasize that go-arounds are good, and to go have
fun and fly the numbers. Then I hop out, and the student starts running the
checklist(s) from the engine start. Yes, it costs them an extra $5, but
let's put things into perspective here. [OK, now that I have that pet peeve
off my chest... ]

When I had lessons many years ago, it always amazed me (it also made me
very careful) that my instructor, from day 1, put his life in my hands
by putting me at the controls while he hand propped the engine. He gave
clear instructions but I set the throttle while he turned the engine
over, then I set things for a start and switched on at the call. If the
engine had a miss-start I did as I was told again!

When I soloed he got out of the aircraft on the other side of the field
with me already lined up for take off (a grass field) with the engine
running, and walked back while I flew my circuit.

Your method was better, but I finished up extremely wary of turning
props.

Oh, I should have mentioned that the engine had no starter anyway.
--
David CL Francis