Aviation Pet Peeve

[DesertFox4]

Pet Peeve, def.-" a minor annoyance that an individual finds annoying to him or her, to a greater degree than others may find it."

I have one.

It's been many years since I was a fledgling pilot under the tutelage of an instructor. Instructors emphasize many things during flight training but none more adamantly than safety. Safety throughout the entire flight, from pre-planning to shutdown.

One safety procedure that I was not taught was to yell "Clear" or "Clear Prop" while instantly and simultaneously engaging the starter. I assumed, and was instructed that, giving a warning of a potential aircraft engine start was to allow some possible victim time to first identify a danger, then give them time to clear the danger zone. None of this is even remotely possible when the two acts occur at the same exact time or just 2 seconds apart. Yet this is what happens probably 8 out of 10 aircraft starts that I witness. It makes me curious if this has become a pilot's reflex action without connection anymore as to why this important warning is given. I doubt most were initially trained this way.

The very last time that a pilot can be 100% sure there is nothing about to be ground to pieces with his/her propeller is about 2 seconds before entering the cockpit. Putting on your seat belts, going through your pre-start checklist, getting ATIS, all take your attention away from your propeller arc and may have allowed some unsuspecting potential victim , human or beast, to move into the danger zone.

If you are at an airport where non-pilots have access to the ramp, yelling "Clear" or "Clear Prop" may mean exactly nothing to that person. In the case of a hearing impaired person they may not get any benefit from any type of verbal warning.

If your going to bother yelling "Clear", at least give folks 5 to 10 seconds time to react between the warning and the activation of the starter. Scan the area and look for conflicts with your propeller. Turn your strobes on before engaging the starter although again, a non trained person may not understand that activating strobes on a quiet aircraft may indicate a potential engine start and imminent danger. In the Kitfox it is not hard to lean out of the seat and clear an additional portion of the propeller arc before engaging the starter switch.

As a good friend always says: "be ever mindful of your propeller track."

Soapbox stowed safely away.
Gentlemen and Ladies, safely start your engines.

[inzersv]

DesertFox4, I totally agree with you. I would see that and cringe every time. My children were 4 and 6 when I started flying and I taught them a five foot rule around an airplane until someone invited them to the cockpit EVERY TIME, AND ONLY IF THE PROP WAS NOT TURNING.

[TahoeTim]

As a fairly new pilot, I agree with part of your peeve. It is ridiculous to call clear prop and expect a non-pilot to react. It's a completely worthless step but I still call it with my hand on the start key

My pet peeve is that ALL aircraft are not required to have a radio! How is that safe?

[896tr]

My pet peeve is that people don't pay attention to their surroundings when flying at familiar or unfamiliar fields. There are still many antique planes flying (many that I know of flying daily) that don't have an electrical system to power a radio. I realize a hand held could be used, but, have you heard a radio transmission from an open cockpit with a radial engine in front of it? It has been my observation that most pilots with a non electrified plane don't want to bend their baby by flying into another airplane. If you are at an uncontrolled field look around don't bend a plane that belongs to someone else.

[Geowitz]

If your going to bother yelling "Clear", at least give folks 5 to 10 seconds time to react between the warning and the activation of the starter. Scan the area and look for conflicts with your propeller. Turn your strobes on before engaging the starter although again, a non trained person may not understand that activating strobes on a quiet aircraft may indicate a potential engine start and imminent danger. In the Kitfox it is not hard to lean out of the seat and clear an additional portion of the propeller arc before engaging the starter switch.

As a good friend always says: "be ever mindful of your propeller track."

Soapbox stowed safely away.
Gentlemen and Ladies, safely start your engines.

Funny you say that. The exact same thoughts have crossed my mind MANY times. This annoys the crap out of me too. I probably see it 9 times out of 10. The pilot yells clear a second before starting. I think they assume they are alone and that nothing could have possibly gotten in the way of the prop in the time they entered the plane. Either way it's completely useless to call clear and not leave enough time for someone or something (even dogs - you need to listen carefully for anything) to make itself known.

[Flienlow]

one time I had just rotated in a C-150 only to find a Seneca coming head with me on final. (he announced the shoreline as he was over the water, I assumed he would continue downwind and land, but he setup for a straight final.) It was at night and I had the strobes on and was flashing the landing lights and calling him on the radio to let him know he was making a down wind landing. - He didn't budge, I altered course to avoid a head-on collision, he passed me and landed without a word. I damn near put the 150 in the trees. avoiding him. I should have landed and gave him a filling in, but I just kept going.

[Esser]

My pet peeve is when people on the radio say all conflicting traffic please advise. If I am conflicting with what you just said you are doing I will advise trust me. I know it's a small one but it bugs me nonetheless

[DanB]

OK...here it is, I'm going to say it out loud, (and probably get flamed for it) but I don't care as it has become dangerous. In my area of the globe (Phoenix, AZ) we have some of the best year-round weather for flying. Many flight school students from around the world travel here to take advantage of it and that is cool. What has become a problem though is not being able to understand transmissions that are in very bad broken English. Part of everyone's safety up there is to be able to listen (especially at a busy field) and paint a mental picture of where everyone is at. I'm sure others have dealt with this no matter what part of the world they live in, but for here it can be a daily event. It sure is concerning and has given more than one pilot a close call.

[Dick B in KY]

Part of the application for applying for a US airman license ask - can you read , speak and understand English, seems some are fudging on the answer and getting by. As an instructor, if I can hardly understand someone in the cockpit, I know other's on the frequency will have a hard time.

Dick B

[kitfoxnick]

My peeve is the guy who comes on the radio and announces his position and then requests "any traffic in the area please advise". If they get no response they then ask again. I usually tune in to the advisory freq and listen for a little while and make my normal 7 or 8 mile call. This gives ample time to hear anyone else making calls and if they're not making calls this usually wakes them up. The other radio peeve is the guy over announcing every position when he is the only one at that airport and airports on the same freq have three or four in the pattern and they can't get on the freq.