Clear prop!

Here are a few tips that were learned the hard way.

1. Get some help. Having a qualified person in the cockpit vastly enhances your odds for success.
2. Loosen up. The engine might start on the first propeller swing, or it could take many.
3. Check your brakes. Give the airplane a shove to confirm the brakes are applied, and that they're holding.
4. Treat the propeller as if the magnetos are always on, and stay clear of the propeller arc. You're less likely to get a rude surprise that way.
5. Communicate. The pilot in the cockpit and the person swinging the prop must be on the same page.
6. Position your hands correctly. If you're the "Armstrong Starter," lay your hands flat on the front of the propeller blade—and avoid wrapping your fingers around the trailing edge. That way, if the prop kicks back, it won't hurt you.
7. Step away from the propeller arc as you pull it through.

Tailwheel airplanes are easier to hand-prop because of their nose-high attitude on the ground. Metal propellers and low-compression engines help, too.

Don't attempt to hand-prop a tricycle-gear airplane with a high-compression engine. There's simply no good way to stay a safe distance from the prop disk.

The FAA gives pilots broad latitude to decide when and how we hand-start airplanes. Use common sense and don't rush. Other pilots have already made just about every conceivable hand-propping error—so there's no need to repeat them.