Boarding with engines running

Is it safe/advisable to board a small single- or twin-engined aircraft while
the prop(s) and engine(s) are turning? I'm just wondering if this is feasible
if you just have someone getting on or getting off (with the pilot being in
the aircraft the whole time).

On a related note, how long can you safely leave an aircraft (engines off)
with just the parking brake set, and when do you normally put chocks under the
wheels?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

I generally hit the pause button before getting out of the chair.

Is it safe/advisable to board a small single- or twin-engined aircraft while
the prop(s) and engine(s) are turning? I'm just wondering if this is feasible
if you just have someone getting on or getting off (with the pilot being in
the aircraft the whole time).

Advisable? No.
Safe? Depends on too many factors to tell say outright... Front
engined aircraft that boards over the trailing edge of the wing?
Probably safe (although I'd imagine getting some doors open under even
an idle prop-stream would be a pain/might risk damage to the door...
light aircraft doors tend to be very flimsy) Twin which boards over
the wing? Not a chance... WAY to many other variables (how bright is
it (how visible is the prop disc), how much idle blast does the prop
throw?
Done anyways? Sure.

On a related note, how long can you safely leave an aircraft (engines off)
with just the parking brake set,

Kinda a nonsensical question, how long until the next stiff wind
blows? what angle will it blow at? In all honesty, most chalks will
probably do no better than the wheel brakes alone at protecting from a
stiff gust... t takes quite a bit of wind to overcome the static
friction of the wheels. If the wind is strong enough to overpower a
brake, a chalk probably won't do much better- what you'll need is good
heavy chains, or better yet, a hangar.

The flip-side is that in general, if your paying the MX bills, its
really not a good idea to leave the brake engaged, this is simply a
wear issue (Its better to store a hydrolic system unpressurized then
pressurized, If you have the choice). Wheel chalks are slightly more
reliable, and much cheaper, then a parking break, but no
"safer" (better at keeping an aircraft stationary)

and when do you normally put chocks under the wheels?

when park your plane.... duh?

On Feb 23, 8:04 pm, Mxsmanic wrote:
Is it safe/advisable to board a small single- or twin-engined aircraft while
the prop(s) and engine(s) are turning?

Engine/s, yes. Prop/s, no.
-----

- gpsman

"gpsman" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Feb 23, 8:04 pm, Mxsmanic wrote:
Is it safe/advisable to board a small single- or twin-engined aircraft
while
the prop(s) and engine(s) are turning?

Engine/s, yes. Prop/s, no.
-----

- gpsman
Foot on the clutch :-)

"EridanMan" wrote

when park your plane.... duh?

Just for the uninformed, this is a troll,; a disturbed person that only
flies microsoft flight simulator, and is afraid to get in a real airplane.
He has problems with reality, and should be treated as a troll, and ignored.
--
Jim in NC

EridanMan writes:

Advisable? No.
Safe? Depends on too many factors to tell say outright... Front
engined aircraft that boards over the trailing edge of the wing?
Probably safe (although I'd imagine getting some doors open under even
an idle prop-stream would be a pain/might risk damage to the door...
light aircraft doors tend to be very flimsy) Twin which boards over
the wing? Not a chance... WAY to many other variables (how bright is
it (how visible is the prop disc), how much idle blast does the prop
throw?
Done anyways? Sure.

The scenario I have in mind is sitting waiting for a passenger to get on or
off, or helping a passenger get on or off. It's mainly just to have a more
realistic simulation. The aircraft I use in the sim is usually a Baron 58; if
I fly it online (VATSIM), it's important that stops at airports be of
realistic length (of the length that they would be if you stopped for some
specific purpose in real life, such as picking someone up or dropping someone
off).

Thus, I wanted to know if it's possible/safe/practical to sit with the engines
running while someone gets into or out of the plane, much as one would do with
a car when picking someone up. Maybe that is too farfetched for an aviation
context. I suppose the passenger would have to be able to get to the aircraft
on his own, and I don't know how tough that would be. And if the pilot had to
help him board or disembark, I assume it would be way too risky to leave the
aircraft running while he left his seat and got out of the plane.

Kinda a nonsensical question, how long until the next stiff wind
blows?

Not for me, as I don't have direct experience with this. I don't know how
easily small aircraft can be moved by the wind.

In all honesty, most chalks will
probably do no better than the wheel brakes alone at protecting from a
stiff gust... t takes quite a bit of wind to overcome the static
friction of the wheels. If the wind is strong enough to overpower a
brake, a chalk probably won't do much better- what you'll need is good
heavy chains, or better yet, a hangar.

A hangar would be great, but unfortunately the simulator doesn't support that
in most cases.

The flip-side is that in general, if your paying the MX bills, its
really not a good idea to leave the brake engaged, this is simply a
wear issue (Its better to store a hydrolic system unpressurized then
pressurized, If you have the choice). Wheel chalks are slightly more
reliable, and much cheaper, then a parking break, but no
"safer" (better at keeping an aircraft stationary)

OK.

when park your plane.... duh?

I meant, do pilots keep a set of chocks in the aircraft and position the
chocks themselves, or is there a lineman or someone who does this, or what?
With large airliners there are crews who handle all of this, but I don't know
how it is done with tiny airplanes.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
Is it safe/advisable to board a small single- or twin-engined aircraft
while
the prop(s) and engine(s) are turning? I'm just wondering if this is
feasible
if you just have someone getting on or getting off (with the pilot being
in
the aircraft the whole time).

On a related note, how long can you safely leave an aircraft (engines off)
with just the parking brake set, and when do you normally put chocks under
the
wheels?


My personal rule (for my Cherokee 180) is to not have passengers getting on
or off while the prop is spinning, in my view the risk isn't worth the extra
few seconds to stop/restart the engine. A spinning prop cannot be quickly
stopped. Further, the door on my Cherokee is difficult to hold open, while
maneuvering yourself to get in or out, even with the engine at idle.

Whenever this topic arises, I have a flashback to a local news story I saw
about 25(?) years ago in St. Louis. Passengers were exiting a small
twin-engine commercial prop plane, at night, down the fold-out stairs on the
left side of the airplane. In those days, to save time, the practice was to
stop only the left engine and then carefully guide the passengers away from
the plane, towards the building. One of the passengers was a young girl,
about 6-8 years old, wearing a hat. In the blink of an eye, her hat blew
off her head, went under the plane towards the running engine, and she ran
after it. She was killed.

I only use the parking brake long enough to tie down, or place the chocks,
then I release the brake.

The scenario I have in mind is sitting waiting for a passenger to get on or
off, or helping a passenger get on or off. It's mainly just to have a more
realistic simulation. The aircraft I use in the sim is usually a Baron 58; if

I just don't understand it, why do you need to go to such great
lengths in a simulator? Even in real life its the flying part that is
the most fun, the challenge to level off precisely and accurately with
the minimum of fuss, the thrill of taking off and landing within 100
ft of the numbers, handling stiff X-winds, using only pilotage to get
to a small airstrip etc. Of course taxing is fun too but its only
because of what comes after it or what came before it.

I fly it online (VATSIM), it's important that stops at airports be of
realistic length (of the length that they would be if you stopped for some
specific purpose in real life, such as picking someone up or dropping someone
off).

If I were to fly in a simulator the only thing I would be doing would
be to fly, fly, fly and never do the mundane things like taxing and
especially never do something as silly as simulating waiting for a
passenger. I don't see why you do not go up with a flight instructor
for an hour or so if you are so interested in the real life aspects of
flying. Its like the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words,
similarly one real flight can be worth a thousand simulator flights.
It would save you a heck of a lot of time not having to ask these
questions and time is money.

St. Louis passed a local law, all engines must be shutdown,
after that accident.
"JK" wrote in message
nk.net...
snip|
| My personal rule (for my Cherokee 180) is to not have
passengers getting on
| or off while the prop is spinning, in my view the risk
isn't worth the extra
| few seconds to stop/restart the engine. A spinning prop
cannot be quickly
| stopped. Further, the door on my Cherokee is difficult to
hold open, while
| maneuvering yourself to get in or out, even with the
engine at idle.
|
| Whenever this topic arises, I have a flashback to a local
news story I saw
| about 25(?) years ago in St. Louis. Passengers were
exiting a small
| twin-engine commercial prop plane, at night, down the
fold-out stairs on the
| left side of the airplane. In those days, to save time,
the practice was to
| stop only the left engine and then carefully guide the
passengers away from
| the plane, towards the building. One of the passengers
was a young girl,
| about 6-8 years old, wearing a hat. In the blink of an
eye, her hat blew
| off her head, went under the plane towards the running
engine, and she ran
| after it. She was killed.
|
| I only use the parking brake long enough to tie down, or
place the chocks,
| then I release the brake.
|
|