In Crime-Thriller movie American Made (2017), Barry put this stopper in front and in the back of the plane's front wheel. Do wheel chocks really prevent an airplane from moving?
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1$\begingroup$ I can confirm that you can’t pull your plane out of the hangar if you have forgotten to remove the chocks. Lots of GA pilots can attest to the fact that it takes a lot of power to jump over the chocks. $\endgroup$– JScarryDec 5, 2017 at 16:23
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$\begingroup$ Safety note: if you drive a tug across the ramp at night keep a sharp eye out for errant chocks. If you hit one with a front wheel and you don't have a really firm grip on the steering wheel the wheel that hit it will stop, the steering wheel will be ripped out of your hands and spin about 4 revolutions in half a second. If you happen to have a thumb inside the wheel you're in for a world of hurt. $\endgroup$– TomMcWDec 5, 2017 at 19:16
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1$\begingroup$ @JScarry: Yes, it depends on exactly what is meant by "prevent". Keep the plane from rolling while the engine is off, sure. Take more than the little bit of throttle you'd normally use for ground ops, yes. Would that little chock in the picture actually stop the plane from moving if the pilot really wanted to? I doubt it. $\endgroup$– jamesqfDec 5, 2017 at 20:08
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2 Answers
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Wheel chocks are used to prevent accidental movement, generally on airplanes. They are placed in addition to setting the brakes, if present.
On smaller planes, chocks are used to prevent the airplane to roll, and tie downs are used to prevent the airplane to stay on the ground and not take off on its own. Using both the chocks and tie downs will ensure that airplane is secured and will not move, under normal conditions of course. Other safety measures are discussed in this answer.
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Definitely, having seen the chocks that stop much larger aircraft from rolling these definitely would stop them
