Hi Skoker...
Wonder if it is part of the Pre-Flight Inspection?
202.1.1 Thrust Reverser
a. What is its function?
The thrust reversers direct engine exhaust gases forward, above and below the engine nacelle to reverse forward motion.
b. Where is it located?
Each engine is equipped with a thrust reverser that consists of two doors or deflectors, that form the aft nacelle fairing when
the doors are in the stowed position.
c. What are the safety precautions?
The reverser control valve has a manual override control arm that may be manually operated from the exterior of the aircraft
through an access door to deactivate the thrust reverser doors in the stowed or open position for safe ground maintenance or
inspection. To operate the manual override, the control valve arm is rotated to the dump position and a safety pin, provided in
stowage clips, is inserted through the control valve arm. This action ports thrust reverser actuator and accumulator pressure to
return, and aircraft hydraulic system pressure is blocked.
The access door to the reverser control valve cannot be closed until
the override control arm is placed in a safe flight position.202.2 Auxiliary
http://members.cox.net/navyewarfare/files/c9EAWS.pdfMove slider about 1 inch from bottom of page...
Not sure if that Link helps or not...
Also...
It was not uncommon for DC9s to back out of their parking area.
The reason that it's rare, of course, is that in a confined space running most planes' engines with reversers deployed would stir up a lot of dirt and grit, much of which would be sucked into their intakes. Foreign-object damage (called FOD) would quickly be the result. But some aircraft, such as DC-9s, have their engines mounted sufficiently high and sufficiently far back that FOD isn't a big risk. Some airlines routinely have some of their aircraft at some of their gates back away from the gate using reversers. That's called a "powerback" in contrast to a pushback, which a plane gets from a tug.
POWERBACK
Northwest now Delta only permits powerbacks at the three hubs that DC-9s visit - MSP, DTW, and MEM. Furthermore, there are gates at each of those airports that powerbacks are not allowed to be performed from (too small an alley, close side-by-side arrangements, etc.).
The pilots know beforehand from the ground crew if they'll be doing a powerback and they inform ramp control of this upon initial contact after receiving the clearance. When the clearance for the powerback is given the ramper in front of the cockpit gives the ready-to-go signal and puts his goggles on.
Both pilots take their feet off of the rudder pedals and put them on the floor. The captain pushes the power just enough to breakaway thrust and rolls the jet forward a few feet to get the tires off of the soft spots so that minimal reverse thrust is needed. After moving forward these couple of feet, he or she goes back to idle and thing brings both engines into reverse thrust and keeps an eye on the ramper ahead of the cockpit who is now giving the both-hands-twirling "continue powering back" signal. The two wingwalkers will give a signal to the cockpit ramper that it's time to stop. He will signal that to the cockpit and the captain takes off the reverse thrust and lets idle thrust bring the jet to a stop. A little forward thrust and by this time the FO is already getting the taxi clearance.