• Pilot seat occupant, after making sure the fuel is ON,  mixture is RICH, magneto switch is OFF, throttle  is CLOSED, and brakes are SET, says, “GAS ON,  SWITCH OFF, THROTTLE CLOSED, BRAKES  SET.”  • Person out front, after pulling the propeller through to  prime the engine says, “BRAKES AND CONTACT.” • Pilot seat occupant checks the brakes SET and turns  the magnetos switch ON, then says, “BRAKES AND  CONTACT.” • The pilot should make themselves familiar with the  parking, ramp, and taxi environment. This can be done  by having an airport diagram, if available, out and in  view at all times.  [Figure 2-13] • The pilot must be vigilant of the entire area around  the airplane to ensure that the airplane clears all  obstructions. If, at any time, there is doubt about a  safe clearance from an object, the pilot should stop the  airplane and check the clearance. It may be necessary  to have the airplane towed or physically moved by a  ground crew. • When taxiing, the pilot’s eyes should be looking  outside the airplane scanning from side to side while  looking both near and far to assess routing and  potential conflicts. • A safe taxiing speed must be maintained. The primary  requirements for safe taxiing are positive control, the  ability to recognize any potential hazards in time to  avoid them, and the ability to stop or turn where and  when desired, without undue reliance on the brakes.  Pilots should proceed at a cautious speed on congested  or busy ramps. Normally, the speed should be at the  rate where movement of the airplane is dependent on  the throttle. That is, slow enough so when the throttle  is closed, the airplane can be stopped promptly. • The pilot should accurately place the aircraft centered  on the taxiway at all times. Some taxiways have above  ground taxi lights and signage that could impact the  airplane or propellers if the pilot does not exercise  accurate control. When yellow taxiway centerline  stripes are marked, this is more easily accomplished  by the pilot visually placing the centerline stripe so it  is under the center of the airplane fuselage.  • When taxiing, the pilot must slow down before  attempting a turn. Sharp high-speed turns place  undesirable side loads on the landing gear and may  2-14 Taxiing An essential requirement in conducting safe taxi operations  is where the pilot maintains situational awareness of the  ramp, parking areas, taxiways, runway environment, and  the persons, equipment and aircraft at all times. Without  such awareness, safety may be compromised. Depending on  the airport, parking, ramp, and taxiways may or may not be  controlled. As such, it is important that the pilot completely  understand the environment in which they are operating. At  small, rural airports these areas may be desolate with few  aircraft which limits the potential hazards; however, as the  complexity of the airport increases so does the potential  for hazards. Regardless of the complexity, some generally  accepted procedures are appropriate. The propeller is swung by forcing the blade downward  rapidly, pushing with the palms of both hands. If the blade  is gripped tightly with the fingers, the person’s body may be  drawn into the propeller blades should the engine misfire and  rotate momentarily in the opposite direction. As the blade is  pushed down, the person should step backward, away from  the propeller. If the engine does not start, the propeller should  not be repositioned for another attempt until it is verified that  the magneto switch is turned OFF. The words CONTACT (magnetos ON) and SWITCH OFF  (magnetos OFF) are used because they are significantly  different from each other. Under noisy conditions or high  winds, the words CONTACT and SWITCH OFF are less likely  to be misunderstood than SWITCH ON and SWITCH OFF. When removing the wheel chocks or untying the tail after the  engine starts, it is critical that everyone involved remember  that the propeller is nearly invisible. Serious injuries and  fatalities have occurred when people who have just started  an engine walk or reach into the propeller arc to remove the  chocks, reach the cabin, or in an attempt to reach the tail  of the airplane. Before the wheel chocks are removed, the  throttle should be set to idle and the chocks approached only  from the rear of the propeller. One should never approach  the wheel chocks from the front or the side. The procedures for hand propping should always be in  accordance with the AFM/POH and only accomplished  if no alternatives are available, and then only by persons  who are competent with hand propping procedures. The  consequences of the hazards associated with hand propping  are serious to fatal.  Taxiing is the controlled movement of the airplane under its  own power while on the surface. Since an airplane is moved  under its own power between a parking area and the runway,  the pilot must thoroughly understand and be proficient in  taxi procedures.