On another thread.
A cautionary tale from Dunnunda.
Re my previous post.
One of the scars came from an upside down engine, a Queen 30 as fitted to the DH Heron.
I was lining up the props after a flight, asked the PIC if the mags were off and received an affirmative.
Lined up #1 and moved on to #2 which fired up with hardly any movement of the prop by me.
The prop threw me into the fuselage side and I fell back on to the ground just in front of the rotating prop. The aircraft was inching toward me so I rolled out of the way pronto.
I then ran around the wing up the stairs into the aircraft and found the mags to all four engine in the on position. I shut #2 down and switched off the rest.
Walking down the cabin I saw blood all over the floor, I was wearing a raincoat and the sleeve was a bit over long and covering my left hand. I shoved my hand out of the sleeve to find a V between my index finger and the next one along. Could have held a real big cigar and put Winston Churchills V to shame. The prop must have done this whilst I was performing my aerobatic display.
Anyway I grabbed a stray tarmac terrier to run me into hospital where they spent some time reducing the V to v or maybe u. Good job too though the left arm still aches on a cold day all these years later.
I had a massive bruise on my upper arm which could have only come from the prop launching me into the fuse.
Lucky no doubt. Whilst I was cautious around props before this I have treated them like big black snakes ever since. With an excess of caution.
SD