Pilot safety

For a few years, my dad held a private pilot's license. One of the protocols when flying a small plane (the propeller-driven ones, at least) is that, prior to firing up the engine, you open the window and yell "Clear!", just to ensure that no one's loitering near the propeller.

For a while it was a bit of a family in-joke: my dad would roll down the window and yell "Clear!" before starting the car. A few months ago, I decided to continue this tradition.


So, the last few weeks, I've tried to remember to roll down the window and (somewhat quietly) yell "Clear!" when I start the car.

The last two weeks, when The Girl in the car with me, she's yelled "W!" before I yell "Clear!" When I asked her why "W", I couldn't get a good answer -- except that girls yell "W" and boys yell "Clear".

Not sure where she got that from.


When I start the car without yelling "Clear!", she reminds me to do it. ("You need to say 'Clear!', Daddy..")


--GG