Lucky Shop Rag

[Dick Pacini]

This may sound kind of dorky but...back 36 or so years ago, I had a "lucky shop rag" that was a must have in my hip pocket when flying.  It had become such a habit; my own personal mini security blanket that always had to be in my left hip pocket or it wouldn't work.  Mark Heideman, my flying buddy, picked up my habit and became a true believer of the shop rag.

I suppose that I had become so entrenched in a routine that seemed to work that I just couldn't fly worth a poop if the rag was not on board.

Anybody else have any little quirks that they believe to be helpful?

[Dan McEntee]

    I'm a believer in the shop rag in the hip pocket theory. I prefer small terry cloth towels, but usually have shop towels around also. I like to wipe my hands off as I walk to the handle after starting the engine. It goes in my right side or hip pocket afterwards.
     You are not alone! 
   Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[Clint Ormosen]

You guys are weird!

[john e. holliday]

Not weird, just keeping their whites nice and clean. We used to call Bill Wright Mr Neat Nik.  His pants were still clean at the end of a practice session while the rest of us had to go change. I tried carrying a rag but, it did no good as I still wied hands on my pants legs.

[Larrys4227]

I do the same .... towel/rag hanging out of my back pocket. Its automatic now, and never leave home without it. :-)

[Dan McEntee]

You guys are weird!

       Oh No! It's all about balance. And life must have balance Grasshopper! And besides, look at the pictures in the old mags from the great golden age of stunt. ALL the really good and really cool guys had a rag hanging out of their pocket. Even the guys in the pits at Indy and the local bull ring dirt tracks wore white pants and had rags in their pockets. I guess I got started on it as a kid flying 1/2A stuff, and when an engine started and ran backwards, it was easy to just reach around, grab the rag and toss it into the prop to stop the engine and wasting precious fuel . I really do feel kind of lost without one, even at work or when working in the garage or around the house.
    Type at you later,
     Dan  McEntee

[Clint Ormosen]

       Oh No! It's all about balance. And life must have balance Grasshopper! And besides, look at the pictures in the old mags from the great golden age of stunt. ALL the really good and really cool guys had a rag hanging out of their pocket. Even the guys in the pits at Indy and the local bull ring dirt tracks wore white pants and had rags in their pockets. I guess I got started on it as a kid flying 1/2A stuff, and when an engine started and ran backwards, it was easy to just reach around, grab the rag and toss it into the prop to stop the engine and wasting precious fuel . I really do feel kind of lost without one, even at work or when working in the garage or around the house.
    Type at you later,
     Dan  McEntee

Kinda like me with my MiniMag flashlight. I keep one on my belt at all times for work. One day I forgot to slip the light into it's holster. I found myself falling over a lot that day. Took me a while to realize I was out of balance due to the missing flashlight.

True story.

[Dan McEntee]

Kinda like me with my MiniMag flashlight. I keep one on my belt at all times for work. One day I forgot to slip the light into it's holster. I found myself falling over a lot that day. Took me a while to realize I was out of balance due to the missing flashlight.

True story.

Yeah, the Mini-Mag goes on the left side with the pocket tool, and the rag goes on the right side. Like I said, life must have balance!I work as a maintenance tech in a large printing plant and never go anywhere with out them, but also have them on my belt when in street clothes. Comes in handy all the time.
     Type at you later
   Dan McEntee

[Shultzie]

The FIRST DAY many years ago.....I couldn't help but take notice that just about every professional model maker and machinest' had one of those INFAMOUS RED SHOP RAGS HANGIN OUT OF THEIR BACK POCKETS!!

[FLOYD CARTER]

The obvious problem with rags-in-pocket, or anything else (like loose sleeves, tie) for that matter.  These things seem to find their way into a spinning prop.  Also beware of pencils in shirt pocket.  They also fall into a prop while you are adjusting things.

Floyd

[Matt Colan]

I can't fly without sunglasses.  Not even kidding, unless the sky looks like it is going to unload with a downpooring rain.  If it's cloudy, sunglasses are on.

[Mike Lauerman]

I do the same .... towel/rag hanging out of my back pocket. Its automatic now, and never leave home without it. :-)

I adopted the 'rag in the right rear pocket' when I started working at age 15 for Red Mayfield in Santa Clara, CA.
"Mayfield's" was the 'best damned garage in town', and the rag became my banner. I always had one on me when flying, it was 'dress code'.
My wonderful wife, Joey, laughed once when we were going somewhere..."Aren't you forgetting something?" we laughed...
After I retired from the business, I was still doing some specialty jobs at home.
Joey puts on a Safety banquet for 160+ Foster Farms big rig drivers every year, very 'posh'. Last year when we got dressed, I wore a black single-vented suit, with coordinated shirt & tie...I hung a red rag out of my back pocket to make her laugh, but she didn't notice, and I forgot.
We greet the drivers and their wives at the door, and when Trevor Foster, the owner, came up he asked, "Checking oil tonight, Mike?"
I looked down, and he had the end of my trusty shop towel in hand...Then I DID get a laugh!