Coober Pedy - "Cessna takes off without pilot"

[Stationair8]

Do you log that flight in the logbook, or just give it a miss?

The 205 had both left and right hand doors and a small door at the rear on the rhs as well.

[gkja]

I've recently seen a U206H with a co-pilots door as well as the cargo doors.The door is smaller than the pilots door and they have added a small window between it and the cargo doors.

[Pinky the pilot]

I have been told by a very wise LAME/pilot that when starting any carburetted engine you should always have the throttle closed completely for any start and then increase it slowly and smoothly once it has started

The LAME/pilot quoted above is indeed very wise. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the secret is exactly that. Throttle fully closed.

I was shown the technique by the then Chief Pilot of Douglas Airways when I started with them in January1990. This was just after Scott L and myself had completed the endorsement training on the Bongo. The CP said to us,
''Right you blokes. Now I'll show you something you might find useful. Say it's late on a Friday afternoon, you're on a strip the other side of the Owen Stanleys, you just want to get back to Moresby and go to the the Aero Club for the Friday night barbie and pissup and a starter motor goes u/s!()
So this is what you do..''

He set the park brake on the aircraft (260hp BN2a) and with ignition off set the prop to a compression stroke. Then after priming the engines normally, set the throttle of the engine to be hand started fully closed saying that the engine would start just on the idle jet. He then selected master switch and both magnetos on and climbed out and swung the prop. After about four or five swings the engine started and ran quite happily at idle.

Believe it or not but one fine Friday afternoon about 12 months later the above scenario occurred! I was indeed the other side of the Owen Stanleys desiring only to get to the Club Dero for the aforementioned BBQ and pissup and the starter on the RH engine went U/S!

After a few naughty words I set about trying the technique shown me and finally about 20 or so swings the engine started! I still remember the screams of laughter and derision being directed at me by the locals as I swung and swung at this seemingly recalcitrant piece of machinery and being somewhat thankful that I could'nt understand the 'ples tok,' otherwise I might have been offended.

But when that engine finally started, the silence from all the locals was most gratifying!! And within about four minutes I had climbed in, started the other engine and was airborne back to Moresby.

The first 'strong drink' at the Club Dero that night never tasted better!