Today I had my first experience of swinging.
Yes, I agreed to go to the airfield to get a few tips and hints from Manuel that might help out on my upcoming trip to Italy. One of the things I particularly wanted to learn was how to ‘hand-start’ the engine if, say the starter motor packer up or if the battery was flat (as has occurred a couple of times in the last few months), this process is also known as ‘hand-swinging’ the propeller.
Well, actually I learned quite a lot more beside. Useful stuff like how to fit the cowling (far from straightforward), how to jack the plane up to change a tire etc. So as Manuel finished the 50 hour service, we pulle3d the plane out to give it a ground run. But first, I had a lot of rehearsal in the hangar on how to hand swing the prop, precisely where the magneto would spark, the commands with the person in the aircraft and most important, how to swing the prop without losing your fingers with kick-back or decapitating yourself by inadvertently leaving sundry parts of your body in the arc of the propeller.
So first off, Manuel did the swinging with me in the cockpit and it fired after about three swings. Then we traded places and I had my turn. I got the sequence and stance right and tried once, nothing, not a sausage. I tried again, nothing. Third time lucky? Nope! Fourth time and by now I realise what hard work this is and wonder if I am doing it right. I do precisely the same thing again and the engine roars obligingly into life. I am of course still moving swiftly away from the propeller due to the swing technique Manuel showed me. Wow! That is so cool! This stuff really works!
OK, so now I know how to do it, of course I hope I never have to, but it is a really useful ‘get you somewhere’ trick if it is needed.
So that’s it – I am now a fully paid up member of the swingers club!
.......What, WHAT – well what did you think I was talking about?
