Back the plane on ground using the thrust reverser.

[irapilot]

In my view it is never ok to back an aircraft prop or jet, in a corporate/part 91 operation. I have seen a turbo-commander tail backed into a DC-3 - the guy was "slick" and came screaming on the ramp, stopped and backed it up, smashing the tail up, hence the company rule that came out after that - never back up anything without rearview mirrors. The $165,000 fod bill on a King Air 200 - there was a pilot constantly backing the thing, on a crappy fodded ramp and surprise! The 1st stage compressor and several blades aft of it were ruined.



Fine if the aircraft is approved for it and there are operational procedures and or opspecs covering the reverse operations (ground crew, clean ramp, etc.) but other than that – forget it –it is a cowboy move.

 

[chickenpilot]

We used to back the ATR up onto the taxi way in MIA it was allowed on that plane only per our company rules. Besides not hitting the brakes better make sure the ramper/guideman in front is wearing real eye protection, sunglasses dont cut it when the dust and sand start getting blown up.

 

[757BBJ_Capt]

Air Florida (Palm 90) wished they hadn't power backed. Because they did, coupled with extremely poor judgement, the crew and most of the passenger got to end their lives knowing the temperature of the Patomac on a cold winter's day.

 

[h25b]

Works great in a Saab 340... ... Like the others say, DON'T use the brakes (mainly to prevent sitting it on the tail). I've seen AA do this in F100's and MD-80's a bunch of times as well.

I wouldn't recommend doing it for the heck of it, but I used to fly a corporate Saab in to pretty tight ramp space and we "had to do what we had to do" occasionally...

 

[THE Flying Ace]

I was in St. Martin for vacation in January, and I watched the ATR's back up at the Grand Case airport from my hotel room.

 

[mannyaplus11]

AA has since stopped doing this. The fuel burned vs. a tug, and the damage to the engine hot sections were the reasons why.

 

[falconpilot]

The falcon 900 is approved for powerbacks.... And it can move alot of dried leaves as well....

 

[Jump Pilot]

Not approved in the 35 or 55.

A guy I flew for used to do it in a turbine Otter. He would get stuck in the mud of this pasture we called an airstrip and would back out of his ruts.

 

[Senior_Citizen]

Ok, Guys, We agree that this maneuvre must ever be avoided, upto the real last resource (to push back the airplane by your owm means using the human force).

As I think the only kind of Jet that can do this maneouver with a little more safety and w/o damage to the engine are jets like the Da900 B727 and others like the Dornier 328Jet, and of course the BC17, because the engine intake has a high ground clearance and is difficult to the debris be ingestd (the BC-17 also has specials thrust reversers to avoid fed onthis maneouvre).

A tip, I knew a guy that does this on his own Avanti p180, but he also engages the particle separator, onthe A.p180 he also can brake on reverse w/o concerns.

 

[pilotviolin]

Fod sucks