This is a variation of the original “Prop Stopper” by Francesco DeSantis.
Hands, limbs, and heads get mutilated at an depressing rate and experienced pilots seem to be the most at risk, probably because of complacency.
Clutched machines are no safer than others UNLESS you do the following.
Are you a student? Do you start your machine while standing in front of it with no rack? Does your instructor use something like this? Ask him to. Point out the disgusting statistics for prop injuries and that probably half of them could be cured by this simple method. Tell him “this is something YOU would think of!”
Other methods are available for non-clutched machines that mostly revolve around some kind of frame holding. Do you have a good, easy, practical suggestion? Shoot us your pictures.
Steps
1. Have a rope or strap that can be placed quickly on the prop and wrapped around the frame in a way that it would stop the prop even if it accidentally went to full power.
2. The rope/strap must not be able to slip off without the user unfastening it.
3. Make sure it’s clear of hot parts.
4. It must be easy to remove WITHOUT putting your hand in or near the prop.
5. Use normal starting precautions, calling “clear prop,” guarding the kill switch, verifying idle, insuring cruise control is off, and holding the throttle in a way that won’t throttle up more if the cage lunges forward. These are limb-saving habits that must be maintained when you’re starting a machine without protection.
6. Make sure it’s strong enough. If the prop is held near its tip then it has leverage and doesn’t need to be as strong. But it’s also more likely to fall off. Make sure that’s not possible.
7. Only use the “Rope Trick” when you want to avoid being chopped up.
