Hand-Propping by Choice

Everyone within 100 yards of a Cub pilot when he/she yells "CLEAR!" with his hand up on the prop:

 

I hand prop my Cub by choice. 

I have not had a battery-powered starter on my airplane for over four years now. The reasons are simple, but first the obvious disclaimer about safety.

YOU MUST READ & UNDERSTAND

Hand-propping your airplane is very serious business:

  • An airplane that is not tied down will chew its way through anything in its path including other airplanes, hangars, and people. You MUST chock the wheels, activate the parking brake, and tie down the tail.
  • Kickback might tear the fingers right off your hand if you do not pull the prop correctly and have the throttle at the absolute correct position. You MUST learn the exact position of where the throttle should be set for all operating situations. Even then, you might lose some fingers.
  • Clothing, gloves, rings, and anything else attached to you that might get caught in the prop MUST be removed. Hoodies with pull strings? REMOVE! Jackets with hoods? REMOVE! Unbuttoned sleeves? REMOVE!
  • A spinning prop is difficult to see. People who have hand-propped for years have walked directly into the path and lost their life as a result. You MUST treat a running aircraft like a huge sword that is actively trying to kill you and anyone near it. A spinning prop is absolutely trying to kill you.

I could post hundreds of images of damage caused by people hand-propping without the proper safety protocols, but this image should give you an idea of the fire you are playing with while hand-propping:

Now, take a deep breath before we continue...

 

Starter Optional

Why in the world would anyone in the right mind hand-prop their airplane? First, lets start with a history lesson. 

Tucked away in the corners of this beautiful country we still have some aviators that consider a battery-operated starter on an airplane a new invention. Proper J3 Cubs never had a starter. Ditto for the early Champs. Cessna 120s & Luscombes? Heavy options that most did without.  My personal favorite crusty aviator lives at my favorite grass strip, and he often shakes his head in disapproval towards all of the "extra crap bolted to the nose of airplanes these days".  He isn't wrong. We hand-prop his Champ before every flight, just like he has the last 40 years.

The truth is that like nosewheels, tailwheel steering chains, and toe-brakes, starters are optional.

Aviators around the world have been hand-propping both large and small engines since World War I. Provided a strict safety protocol I might go so far to argue hand-propping is the correct way to start an aircraft engine. I also believe conventional gear is correct too, so don't take too much stock in my opinion just yet.

We used to hand crank everything from cars to tractors as well which is essentially hand propping (with some of the same inherent dangers):

I don't hand-prop my airplane because of my undying love for a long gone era or respect for my favorite crusty tailwheel aviator. Like you, I stare at a digital display controlled by transistors from the time I wake up in the morning to the time I go to sleep at night. I write software for a living, and when I am not writing software I am reading the gcode that controls my 3D printers and CNC machines. I stream hockey games to my big screen Roku TV from my StarLink every night. I love technology.

So why then would someone make the choice to remove their battery-operated starter?

 

A lightweight starter, lightweight alternator, and lightweight ring gear weighs a combined 27 lbs.

Now, add the weight of the following to support all of these optional contraptions:

  • Heavy gauge wiring going from the starter solenoid to the starter positive terminal
  • Heavy gauge wiring going from negative battery terminal to engine cases
  • Starter solenoid, key assembly, and all associated wiring required to actuate said solenoid
  • Alternator belt, brackets, AN bolts, and blast tubes for cooling
  • Starter AN bolts and brackets

Once you remove the need for high-amperage circuitry on your airplane, other options start to open up:

 

Look Ma, No Starter! (or much else)

The Reality of a Starter Optional Lifestyle

The reality of not having a starter has pros and cons like one would expect. My old Lycoming O235 was a complete bear to hot-start post refueling. My fueling routine is more complicated than others as I prefer to tie my tail down necessitating some form of ground (or tree) anchor. Spectators and pilots alike will often flee the area (or stare in disbelief) when they realize this odd-looking airplane is about to be started by hand. 

That said, I removed over 35 lbs off the nose and the handling of the airplane is night-and-day improved. I don't worry about being stuck somewhere far from home with a dead battery. In fact, I don't really even need a battery except for my transponder (which will run for 72 hours on my main battery alone). My new Titan O340 starts on the first pull 95% of the time and honestly starts so easily (both hot and cold) I don't even think about it anymore. Removing all of the extra crap also immensely simplified my airplane, something I strive for in every part design.

For me, my airplane, and my mission, the pros so far outweigh the cons I will never have a starter on a lightweight Cub.

Best yet, I now never fear anyone stealing my airplane on the ramp; there is no way they could ever get it started. The few brave souls who could start my bird would be like my favorite Champ pilot back on my favorite grass strip.

I'd gladly let them take my Cub around the patch in exchange for a just a few more tidbits of their wisdom.

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