More on that case (where he survives):
Correct. Technically it’s not the prop you teach them to avoid; it’s a big empty sphere around the front of the plane. Doesn’t matter what you do or don’t see or hear, you don’t go within that bubble. Ever. For any reason. The ground under that sphere is hot lava, pretty much a semicircle from wingtip to wingtip. You can approach the airplane from outside of that semicircle and from behind the wing. You deplane in reverse: Behind the wing, stay outside the area in front of the plane. All kids and pax should have this drilled into them repeatedly.
You would think. But directionally I guess the ear doesn’t really identify the source well enough (if it’s bouncing off hangar walls and such) and it’s not sudden if it’s been going on a while so the brain doesn’t perceive it as a threat. Maybe also people are used to car engines which don’t have huge invisible meat grinders extending out into space.
Noise has very little to do with it. Besides you should be wearing your hearing protection when around a running aircraft.
The inlet "mesh" would impede and disturb the airflow into the engine and reduce efficiency and performance. Also you would have to heat the mesh to prevent ice formation. Its used on smaller turboshaft engines within the cowling but on pure jet it tends to create more problems than it prevents.
FYI: you'll find any mesh structure short of a similar set up found around air boat props wouldn't last on an aircraft due to various loads and forces. Then there are the aerodynamic issues and vibrations. On the helicopter side applying high-visibility paint schemes to the rotors and lighting the tail rotor help increase situational awareness which could be easily and economically applied to airplanes and their props. However, short of a physical barrier much methods provide limited results. Two of the more effective preventive measures taken to reduce tail blade strikes on the helicopter side is to mark landing areas with designated walkways and danger areas and/or the use of dedicated trained ramp personal that escort all pax to and from aircraft along said walk ways. Unfortunately even these trained ramp people and HLOs are not exempt from running into blades and props. So no method is 100% except aircraft shutdown which isn't always possible.
