handproppinganaircraft
| Field | Aviation |
| Went Obsolete | Post WWII |
| Made Obsolete By | Greater use of self starters in aircraft engines |
| Knowledge Assumed | Working knowledge of aircraft carburetor and magneto settings, how to pull the propeller/airscrew safely, knowledge of terms such as “Switch Off!” and “Contact!” |
| When useful | When dealing with vintage aircraft or ultralight aircraft without self starters |
When watching an old movie about WWI flying aces, one can observe the mechanic pulling the propeller to start the hero's trusty Sopwith Camel. This has, for the most part, been rendered obsolete by either manual flywheel cranks or (more commonly nowadays) electric self-starters on aircraft engines. However, if the starter motor isn't working/isn't there, one has no choice but to manually prop the plane if one wants to fly.
