What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Prop blast from startup - how to deal with?

RV7A Flyer

Well Known Member
Patron
A buddy and I were out flying today, and on landing for lunch at a fairly busy airport café, we watched as *every single aircraft* that was parked there started their engines while in the tiedown spots, essentially blasting all over the planes behind them (including ours...grrrr).

I'm not talking King Airs or TBMs or other large aircraft which are cumbersome or difficult to pull out onto the alleyway; these were Cessnas, Bonanzas, Cirruses (Cirri?), etc.

I'm prepping my plane for paint now, and I'm starting to take a very dim view of people who can't be bothered to pull their aircraft out so that they don't sandblast the planes behind them. I'll be taking an especially hard line once its painted.

How do you all deal with this? I realize you can't run out there and stop a pilot in the midst of his startup when you see him do it, while you're eating lunch. But if you're there at your plane when this is about to happen (as we were with two old geezers in a Cessna immediately "behind" my friends brand-new RV), what do you do or say to "educate" them and resolve this annoying (and potentially damaging) situation?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
How do you all deal with this? I realize you can't run out there and stop a pilot in the midst of his startup when you see him do it, while you're eating lunch. But if you're there at your plane when this is about to happen (as we were with two old geezers in a Cessna immediately "behind" my friends brand-new RV), what do you do or say to "educate" them and resolve this annoying (and potentially damaging) situation?

I've been in this situation a couple of times. I just went up to the pilot who was buckling in and politely reminded him that if he rotated his plane a bit before starting all would be well. In both cases the person looked embarrassed and said essentially 'yep - good point - I wasn't thinking. thanks.'
 
choose your parking spot wisely

Mostly where I fly there are not very many other aircraft, but when it is a bit busier, I try to park where the risk of blast is a lower. Usually only requires a slightly longer walk. Same thing as parking your car away from where the shopping carts are likely to ding it.

As far as teaching others to not do this, good luck!
 
Give them a hand

Several times I've been parked behind others while fueling and when it became obvious that they weren't going to change position before start, I walked over and offered help moving to a spot that wouldn't blast the rest of us.
Point gets made and you're a nice guy.
 
An 'especially hard line' won't accomplish anything but ruining your mood that day. All you can do is try to educate and be helpful in the manner previous posters suggested. Other than that, use good paint and pick parking spots carefully.
 
At my old airport others would pull there airplane out of the hangar and instead of pointing the tail parallel to the hangar row they would only pull it out on a 45 degree angle.

The startup would give you the blast and the taxi would sent all the ramp crizap into the hangar :mad:
 
Park wisely

A charter Lear nearly sandblasted me last year by the pumps at xxxx in NC. I made a quick remark on the radio no answer. Aviation world is small and in couple weeks I was contacted by the captain who apologized. I told him he owes me two beers one for each engine. Didn't claim it yet but know where to go :D
 
I watched a hotshot dead stick a highlander on purpose then start it taxi back and almost blow the canopy and ailerons of my Pitts. If I didn't just buckle my self I would have gotten out and just ask him to be a little more careful.
 
This thing will not stop! But trying to help and especially explain - not teach - that other planes control surfaces can move to their hard stops for example and can be damaged will educate them. Blowing into a hangar is a no no, I always tell others at my home airfield and club this is not to be done.
Personally I can?t stand when others start their engines not realizing they are doing 1500 RPM all the time, the more experienced pilots seem to have an eye for their surroundings.
 
the more experienced pilots seem to have an eye for their surroundings.


You've hit the nail in the head. Most, though not all, of the time this is just inexperience where a word or two given in good spirit will forever help that young pilot.
 
This is something that the flying schools should teach and stress under good airmanship. Not many do and if they do not many remember.
 
There are people, including pilots that haven't figured out that the rest of us are still here when they close their eyes. They may never figure it out. Probably the best bet is to offer to help them pull their plane out and turn it away.
 
This is something that the flying schools should teach and stress under good airmanship. Not many do and if they do not many remember.

YOU're absolutely right - we, as a community, need to teach our brethren better. of course, in this case, the lesson to teach is "always think about where your blast is going to go, and make sure you don't blast others"...not "always pull your airplane out before starting". Too often, we teach ways to prevent a symptom, but not the actual concrete reason behind it.

I have parked in many, many places where it was better to start up in place than to pull out (and sometimes you can't pull out). But I never let my slipstream blast others - the root thing we want to prevent.

I have also seen someone pull there airplane out of a parking spot when there were no other airplanes nearby or behind because "they were taught to do that" - and had no reason why....
 
This is something that the flying schools should teach and stress under good airmanship. Not many do and if they do not many remember.

im flight training right now, and this has NEVER been brought up. the only time i've been told make sure im not pointing towards someone else is in the run up area. to be honest, if i never saw this thread, it would of never occurred to me as i was never trained for it. i'd say the majority of people fall into this catergory.
 
We Did

This is something that the flying schools should teach and stress under good airmanship. Not many do and if they do not many remember.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, called Southern California, we used to teach just that. We ran the Flight School at Oceanside for a while and pulling the airplane out of the parking row and turning 90 degrees was a required part of the training for students and checkout for renters. If anyone "forgot" they got remedial training.

I was taught this from the time I was a wee lad, but obviously most aren't.
 
Good Magazine Article

YOU're absolutely right - we, as a community, need to teach our brethren better. of course, in this case, the lesson to teach is "always think about where your blast is going to go, and make sure you don't blast others"...not "always pull your airplane out before starting". Too often, we teach ways to prevent a symptom, but not the actual concrete reason behind it.

I have parked in many, many places where it was better to start up in place than to pull out (and sometimes you can't pull out). But I never let my slipstream blast others - the root thing we want to prevent.

I have also seen someone pull there airplane out of a parking spot when there were no other airplanes nearby or behind because "they were taught to do that" - and had no reason why....

Hey Paul, this would be a great subject to put in Kitplanes I believe. I'm going to suggest it to every other mag I subscribe to also. By the way, I LOVE "Kitplanes." :D

Cheers,
 
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, called Southern California, we used to teach just that. We ran the Flight School at Oceanside for a while and pulling the airplane out of the parking row and turning 90 degrees was a required part of the training for students and checkout for renters. If anyone "forgot" they got remedial training.

I was taught this from the time I was a wee lad, but obviously most aren't.

From last summer

airport courtesy
I was airboss at an airshow this weekend and after the show ended a young flight instructor flying a static display airplane from Southern Illinois University pushed it outside the crowd area. He cranked up and proceeded to make a 90 degree left turn out, prop blasting me and the sound guys equipment, blowing over tripods and speakers and all of my stuff all over the place. I still had control of the field and I did tell him about it on the radio. blasting an open hangar is taboo too.

When I learned to fly almost 40 years ago, the instructors taught airport etiquette, I did too when I was teaching, but I don't think anybody does anymore. I think its usually a matter of ignorance rather than arrogance.

Chris M
__________________
RV-4 "Mr. Twister"
Pitts S1S "Mexican Red"
Mr. Twister Airshows
C&J Flying Circus ICAS FFI
the mission... have fun.
 
Old dogs can learn new tricks

... a word or two given in good spirit will forever help that young pilot.

At a distant airport yesterday to pick up a passenger, I was able to park with no aircraft behind me on startup for the return trip.

This morning I returned the passenger to the distant airport; taxiing in I saw the first transient line was full.
Remembering this thread, I taxied past the second, parallel transient line (where I would have dusted all the aircraft in the first
line on startup), and on to where I could park perpendicular to the transient lines, with no aircraft behind me for 75 yards.

Sometimes an old pilot can be helped as well.
 
How a real pro does it.

Near and dear subject to me. I have seen damaged aircraft and even saw large windows blown out of an enclosed walkway several years ago. A couple of years ago while clearing inbound customs at Ft. Pierce, a Cessna 206 started up right in front of us as we were unloading luggage. He started the airplane and sat there with about 1800 RPM buffeting the heck out of us for several minutes. Rosie the Riveter was heading up to approach him from the side and give him a piece of her mind when he finally started to taxi. He will never know how close he was to experiencing the wrath of a woman whose airplane is being scorned. I was taught back in the dark ages to always be cognizant of the wind you create. Flying helicopters for Uncle Sam this was always a sure way to raise the ire of your peers when hover/taxiing around other aircraft.
I had the pleasure of witnessing an extremely thoughtful and professional NetJets pilot at Seattle, Boeing Field, several years ago. My wife and I were out there in our old Bonanza. The ramp at Galvin Aviation was extremely crowded. Ahead and to the left of the Bonanza was a NetJets Challenger. The crew was there and were preparing for departure. My wife and I were also preparing for departure in the Bonanza. The Challenger Capt. came over to admire our old Bonanza and to tell us about his Bonanza. It was a nice conversation and I liked the guy right away. A short time later they fired up the APU on the Challenger, and I realized that he was going to have to taxi a short distance forward and then make a hard left 90 degree turn to get out of his crowded parking spot. I began to worry about the jet blast as his passengers showed up and began boarding. We weren't ready to go so I just locked the controls, shut the door and advised my wife to move clear of the area. He was close and I knew it was going to take a bunch of power to get out of there. To my delight and appreciation, he gave the airplane a pretty stiff shot of power to get it rolling at a pretty good pace, and as he made the hard left turn, both reverser buckets deployed and he coasted around the corner and did not even ruffle what little hair I had left. After completing the turn, he looked back out the window at me, waved, and continued his taxi. I wrote NetJets an attaboy letter when I got home. A consummate pro and a real gentleman in my book!
 
Last edited:
To my delight and appreciation, he gave the airplane a pretty stiff shot of power to get it rolling at a pretty good pace, and as he made the hard left turn, both reverser buckets deployed and he coasted around the corner and did not even ruffle what little hair I had left.

Thanks for posting that. I would never of thought of using the reversers in this situation, but I?ll put that in my bag of tricks now.
 
I like to think I am very courteous. I do however often start up with others at a distance behind me. I assume that if the distance is far enough and I keep the RPM's low there will be no problem.
Today I stopped for breakfast @ st. Augustine FL. And was put in a front row and trapped against a hanger and row of cars. During breakfast the FBO created a second row behind me. One of the FBO employees was washing a car in a open front hanger right beside me. I was stuck. I would have had to pull the plane a 100' around a corner to get away from everyone. I started, kept the RPM below 1000 and immediately rolled around the corner. I am hoping that nobody even felt my blast.
 
Thanks for posting that. I would never of thought of using the reversers in this situation, but I?ll put that in my bag of tricks now.

You are welcome, Kevin. It definitely went in to my bag of tricks for the rest of my career.
And, by the way, a belated thanks to you for all of the excellent flight test advice you have given to all of us on this forum for so long.
 
Great instructor

I have been fortunate to have a great instructor of over 10 years who early in my training taught me to be cognizant of my surroundings and careful of where the prop blast is going (among many other great lessons). He is not the domineering, bombastic type, just very professional when it comes to flying safely and courteously.

John has been a wealth of knowledge over the years, and I learn something new every time I fly with him. That's one reason I keep making the 1.5 hour drive to his home field for my reviews and ratings. At least once the RV is done those transit times will be reduced.

If anyone is in southern Maine, look up John Gary and fly with the crew at Southern Maine Aviation. They offer so much more than just teaching people to fly.


This is something that the flying schools should teach and stress under good airmanship. Not many do and if they do not many remember.
 
I learned to fly many years ago as part of my college education. Like others have stated, I don't believe this was mentioned but is most certainly a good idea to show respect for other's equipment not to mention good airmanship. A very good reminder for those of us not taught accordingly. I will deffinetaly keep this in mind now that it has been brought to my attention.

I haven't been flying a lot in the past several years so I'm happy to say I haven't been one of the offenders.
 
Another good story :)

About 3 months ago there was a G5 at Double Eagle for the week parked close to fuel pit. I had just pulled the 4 in and hopped out when the G5 fired up and they were going to have to make a turn that would point that monster right at me. There was no I was going to get it moved out of the way in time, I was just getting ready to start cussing up a storm when the crew turned the thrust reverses popped closed and they coasted around the turn!.
I was unable to get the radio fired up in time to thank them.
So massive thanks to the unknown G5 crew!
 
Back
Top