When you fly to another airport, just pick out a standard tiedown spot to park. When you're ready to go, take one of the tiedown ropes, tie a loop in it, and put that in your tail hook.

Carry a hank of rope and a knife in your airplane. If you end up stopping somewhere away from existing tiedown ropes, cut off a piece of your own rope and tie it to a fence post, etc. Keep in mind, too, that the ropes left at the tiedowns may not be of the best quality, and you might have to sacrifice a bit of your own rope instead. I've been places where just a moderate tug on the tiedown rope will shatter it.

If you're at a fly-in or other activity, there's often someone who can flip the prop for you. Otherwise, brief someone, put them in the cockpit, and have them hold the brakes while YOU start the airplane. You can still take charge of manipulating the throttle and working the switches, you just need a meat parking brake.

I flew N500F, the prototype Fly Baby, for seven years. Hand propping all the way. Was only twice that I had to prop it with no one in the cockpit and the not tail tied down. The first happened after a landing at a remote grass strip with no one around. The second was when the engine quietly quit on short final on a 15-degree day.

Finally, remember that the rules excluding the need for transponders and ADSB refer to an engine-driven electrical system. It doesn't preclude having a starter and battery. Install both, include an external power plug, and top off the battery occasionally. I flew my current Fly Baby for a year with a dead generator.

Tail hook information:

http://www.bowersflybaby.com/tech/tailhook.html

Ron Wanttaja