In 1959, I bought a wrecked Cessna120 N2870N from an airport in the San Fernando Valley and restored it. Subsequently, I moved it to the Santa Ana (Now John Wayne, SNA) airport. I sold it in 1962 to finance my wedding. It did have an electrical starter on the 85 hp Continental. A web search just now shows it was last certified in June 2006. Location: NorthPole, AK. These days my son flies an Airbus 320 into SNA. And for the last 48 years I've lived within a 10 minute walk to Wrong Way Corrigan's house! Thanks for the memory, dclark26.

I had to laugh at all the comments about the woman trying start the plane, but appearing to turn the prop the wrong way. Here's a novel thought: perhaps she wasn't really trying to start the plane. While pilots might see this as a major aeronautical faux pas, I get the feeling the advertising executives were hoping the average person was more interested in the beautiful ladies in the picture (along with the product they were pitching). For all we know, this "plane" might not have any engine or instrumentation in it; it could very well be just an advertising prop (no pun intended).

IMHO, the photo was supposed to promote the Air Race and the sponsor's product, Star Kist Tuna. I think that it does a good job of promoting both.

Her hands and body position lend a sense of action to the photo that wouldn't be there if she were on the other side of the propeller.

This Cessna 120 is no longer registered as N89518. It's either out of service (most likely) or had its N number changed. The model 120 was a stripped-down version of the 140 and was produced from 1946 through 1948. Here's the front and back cover of the pilot's manual for the 1947 Cessna 120 and 140.

She's not a real blonde. Since everyone else got it right, I thought I'd find something else.

She's trying to turn the engine the wrong direction. Also, for safety reasons you shouldn't wrap your fingers around the blade in case the the engine kicks back.

The young lady attempting to start the engine is spinning the prop the wrong way.

The Intrepid Aviatrix on the left is fixin' to prop-start that plane backwards... and Madame Captain seems to concur with this procedure. I wonder if it's in the Pilot's Handbook that way?

Not that the engine would actually start in reverse, but if a cylinder just happens to fire then I think the young lady is far too close to the 'arc of death' for my comfort levels!

Of course, I know it's a Publicity Photo -- hee hee!

trying to spin the prop backwards like that!

If she were really trying to start the engine by spinning the prop she would need to be on the other blade spinning it in the opposite direction. The prop is pitched to spin counter clockwise.

Egads man, she is propping the engine the wrong way! On American made engines the prop turns clockwise as seen from the cockpit, with this turn of events pistons will surly be a poppin'.

The lady up front is spinning the prop the wrong way.

If the delightful lady were really trying to start this aircraft engine by swinging the prop she would have to pull down the prop the other 'way' (anti-clockwise). She could be on the end of a hefty kick this way round!

Well, my memory may be faulty, but I think I remember guys hand-starting an airplane engine by grabbing the other side of the propeller: the one on the pilot's right. Or is my advanced age catching with me?

I think it might be that this plane has a electric starter therefor no need to spin the prop.

Looks like she is turning the engine over backwards, check out the pitch of the prop.

thus inviting comments from guys (like me) who aren't pilots!

Maybe there are two things wrong here.

Most obvious, I think, is that unbeknown to the pilot someone has swapped her left and right hands around. I tried to emulate her finger-to-thumb 'perfection' gesture, and, well, she's a better man than me if she can get her left hand to perform like that.

Not being an aeronautical type, there might be a good reason for spinning the propeller in the wrong direction, but maybe the girl with the prop is making fun of the pilot? Or vice versa.

Pretty girls, though.

The starter motor is on the wrong side.

That lovely ground crew person is trying to start the motor in reverse, she should be on the other blade.

She's trying to prop that Cessna 120 from the wrong side, or at least is posing to do same. Its Continental engine (viewing the plane from in front of it) turns counterclockwise. Well, at least it did before our young aviatrix got hold of it. Also she's got way too much of her hands on it. You want to crank that baby with just one knuckle per digit involved or else you could end up saying "ouch" for a long time. Also (man, this is getting involved) she needs to start with her weight on the inside foot so that her body will turn naturally to the outside, away from Mr. Propeller, as she pivots.

If the lady in front is attempting to turn over the engine, she's tugging on the wrong side of the prop.

Maybe she intends to back up.

The blonde lady is about to turn the prop the wrong direction. She should switch sides, and turn it counterclockwise.

A couple of nice-looking ladies, and a nice 1950 "shoebox" Ford in the background.

Looks like the young lady is pulling on the wrong prop blade. And if that's a Cessna 140 (I think so) it has an electric starter.

She's propping the airplane the wrong way.

I think the starter is going to spin the prop the wrong way.

She is trying to prop (start by hand) the engine. Unfortunately she is trying to start it backwards by pulling down on the wrong prop blade. At least she is ready to kick her leg backwards in true propping fashion.

This posed shot was probably set up by the photographer who didn't understand the concept.

The airplane appears to be a Cessna 120.

She'll never start that little Continental engine by hand-propping it backwards.

If the engine were to start in the direction our nattily dressed assistant is pulling the prop, the plane will go backwards!

is that the lovely assistant is pulling the propeller through in the wrong direction, although it works great for the photo composition. The airplane, I believe, is a Cessna 140. This must be Starkist pre Charlie the Tuna.

Can't tell exactly, but the blonde's left leg is blocking the view of the front chock on the plane's right tire. If it is not properly chocked, after the engine gets going the plane will swing to the left and the prop will cut the blonde in half.

She is spinning the prop the wrong way.

Where do all those blonde jokes come from? Here's the source of one: Blonde tries (at least for the camera) to get a Cessna 120 engine to run backwards. Translation: This prop spins counterclockwise when viewed from in front of the plane, so she should be standing on the other side = we have another blonde joke, more or less. Note the upper edge of the prop is ahead of the lower edge, which means as it spins, it "grabs" the air and basically pulls the airplane forward. If the lower edge met the air first (which can happen only if the engine runs backwards, and it won't), the prop would back the plane up. Yes, there are reverse pitch props which will allow backing up, but this little sky baby isn't packing one.

I believe the young lady getting ready to give the prop a go is on the wrong side.

The lovely lady is about to spin the propeller in the opposite direction it is intended to spin. Engine damage may result and it certainly won't start. If it does start the plane will not go forward.

She's swinging the prop backwards. Oops!

She was probably there a while before she figured it out. Obviously, the pilot was not any help.