Engine startup order on the Propliners (DC3, DC4 etc)
 

Any one know the standard engine startup order used on the Propliners ( DC3, DC4, DC6)? I'm sure it wasn't a straight 1-2-3-4.

What about the startup order in modern 3 & 4 engine jets.

Two-engine aircraft: 2, 1.

Four-engine aircraft: 3, 4, 2, 1.

Start the ones with the hydraulic pumps on 'em first. :p

Which is started first depends on several things, including the configuration of the airplane (what pumps and accessories are on what engine, for example), and the operation involved (two engine taxi vs. four engine taxi, etc).

Generally I always started 1, 2, 3, and 4 in that order. In aircraft with inboard engines having hydraulic pumps, then inboards first, or alternating inboards first.

When taxiing on two engines, usually inboards only, and with short taxi's, then all four engines turning to warm up in the short taxi distance available.

Am I right in assuming DC-ATE's sequence has to do with pax-ops and a port loading and unloading format, at times with engines turning?

FWIW the #2 (right hand) engine is always started first on the King Air, due to the wiring to the battery being shorter :)

I remember that the critical engine is started first, no? In twins anyway.

Will Fraser -
Yes. And the sequence I gave was for 'Normal' ops. Obviously, there's always exceptions. I have NEVER seen a sequence of 1, 2, 3, 4, however, as someone stated, except the 'default' Flight Sim way, but I thought we were talking "real" here.

Jetways are fairly "recent". A lot of excitable little boys and girls on the ramp at loading. The stairs were short steep and narrow. Best to keep the scimitars out of harm's way.

Start order modern jets
 

On the 747-400 the start order is 3&4 simultaneously auto start, followed by 1&2 simultaneously auto start.

Dont know about the -200....if that is still considered a modern jet!!!!

I thiught we started the -200 4-3-2-1...?

It has been 18 months since I flew one, memory is dropping fast:sad:

There is no critical engine on the ground, and this has no bearing on the start order for the airplane.

The start order is sometimes varied in order to test engine-driven equipment, such as alternating engines to test hydraulic pumps, etc.

Standard starting order for us in four engine piston and turboprop, and turbojet equipment, was 1, 2, 3, 4. Yes, we are talking "real" here. No, simulators not involved.

However, as you brought it up, in the simulator we performed the same start sequence, same as on the line. 1, 2, 3, 4.

When I was on the DC 6 we started inboard,outboard (same side)inboard,outboard (other side). An inboard was always started first because that is where the hyd pumps are. The order could be 3,4,2,1 or 2,1,3,4 at the captains discretion. A factor was whether the captain started all engines or whether the captain started the right wing engines and the copilot started the left side engines (the better way IMO). In the later case the convention at my company was 3,4,2,1.

SNS3Guppy -
I'd be curious to know just what aircraft had that starting order. I flew the Connies, DC-6/7, and NEVER saw that order. But the initial question related to piston aircraft.

DC-6/7 types were normally started 3-4-2-1.
Hydraulic pumps on two and three.
In addition, and this could be quite important...in the event of a fire whilst starting, starting the inboard engine first on four engine types provided better access for the fire guard.

And...to anticipate the next question, if hydraulic pumps were on engines two and three, what accessory was driven by numbers one and four?
Among others...cabin superchargers (roots blowers).

And yes, I flew both types mentioned.

Normal start sequence of both Gulfstream 1 and Fairchild/Fokker F-27 was 2 - 1, however both manufacturers recommended you occasionally start out of sequence to verify the operation of the de-icer boot suction.

"Any one know the standard engine startup order used on the Propliners ( DC3, DC4, DC6)? I'm sure it wasn't a straight 1-2-3-4.

What about the startup order in modern 3 & 4 engine jets."

As you can see from the replies above there is no fixed sequence - it depends on your companies SOPs, as is often the case when you ask these kind of questions. When I flew DC3s it was number 2 engine first allowing the pax door to remain open until the last minute. (The traffic officer had to exit through that door) When I flew 747s it was 1234 :bored:

Among others, the PB4Y-2...which we typically started 1, 2, 3, and 4. Sometimes just the inboards, sometimes all four, sometimes the inboards then the outboards, sometimes for variety we'd start from the right and work left, and sometimes from the inboard working out. However, generally we'd start far left and work right, 1, 2, 3, 4. Most others operating alongside us, which included DC4's, DC6's, and DC7's, did the same.

In the C-130, we operated typically 1, 2, 3, and 4, but also frequently started or taxied on just the inboards.

In the B747...1, 2, 3, 4.

In the C97...1, 2, 3, 4.

Engine start sequence
 

Don't know what C130 you flew Guppy, but on the A, E and H models I operated on we started #3 then #4 followed by GTC/APU shutdown then started #2 followed by #1. (On "A" the GTC doors were manually closed. Guess the "E" and "H" just followed the traditional way). L/M aboard, "Doors closed/Checked" Tristar as #2 first then #3 and #1. Pretty sure the B707 and B747 Classics we used same as C130.

I operated on the A model C-130, and we started 1, 2, 3, and 4 in that order. If we taxied on 2 engines, then 2, 3, in that order. We also operated our GTC until takeoff, it had no doors, and we had no limitations on operating it in flight, if necessary. Our A models were not the same as yours.

We had different motors, different propellers, a GTC upgrade, and other significant airframe differences and modifications.

On the 747 we operate 1, 2, 3, and 4, save for occasions when we taxi on only the inboards...in which case we do 2, then 3.