Respect the Propeller

Have you ever been caught in the arc of a moving propeller..?

Probably not otherwise you wouldn't be reading this post.

Today Mr Pilot was telling us more 'pilot shit' as he calls it. He took a moment to emphasise the importance of respecting the propellers on aircraft. The general rule that he laboured was to avoid the arc of the propeller at all times. It is sometimes very difficult to see the moving prop blades and the noise isn't always obvious on the apron when there is other noise. So many times he has seen students wandering around idle props without a care in the world. Quite "cringy stuff" he said.

Mr Pilot
- "Everytime I see it, it makes me cringe. I once saw a guy go straight through a moving propeller. It was a rainy day and he was taxiing towards the hanger, it was pouring with rain and the guy was just rushing to get indoors. He jumped out of the plane and ran straight through the prop to get into the hanger; I was watching indoors from a distance and thought 'Ouch, that can't be good!'. I looked calmly across at someone in the office and said 'You had better call an ambulance, that chap has just gone through the blades'. It was not a pretty sight; it took 20 minutes for the ambulance to arrive, he was still alive then; but not really [He winced]. Imagine the arc as a madman with a very sharp sword, just waiting for you to put somthing in the way..!"

At this point, we are so far from getting near a plane it isn't really a worry for me, but I'll be sure to remember it closer to the time. The biggest worry facing me at the moment is the upcoming 'progress tests' which are due next week. These are quite a big deal as any prospective employer gets to see the results.

There is alot of work to do till then..