Unwelcome Visitors in the Cockpit

[cessna170bdriver]

I guess I need to start taking a closer look at the vents (and under the seats) on preflight...

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/s ... hp?t=77255

[runerider]

One of our new pilots in the bird dog unit decided the only way to stay cool in his two piece nomex was to run one piece of flex hose off of each vent, one he stuck in his shirt the other in a pant leg. The second day out he flew through a swarm of bees, that was the end of his air conditioning.

[GAHorn]

Once upon a time Jamie and I went flying out to a breakfast and had no incoming air at the right wing-root-vent. It turned out to be fully plugged with a huge mud dauber nest inside the "can" vent. I removed it with my fingers and threw it out the window....then re-installed the vent-can.... which promptly blew mud/dirt all over us and throughout the interior.

I once became distracted on an ILS by a red-wasp which began buzzing about my head right at minimums. SWA had missed the approach immediately before me.... and I credit the distraction of that wasp for geting me below minimums and in-view of the runway to complete the approach. (funny now.... not then!)

To prevent entrance by daubers/wasps/etc., I stick "Tuffy" (plastic pot scrubbers, available at gro. stores, etc.) into the vents, oil-sump cooling-air entrance, carb-heater muffler-inlet, and cabin heater muffler-inlet (front of cowl) and cabin-air/heater-valve entrance (rear of baffling). I have the muffler/heater-valve scrubbers tied together with a long nylon string and flag...to ease preflight removal. They are all bright yellow/red, which brings them to one's attention during preflight. (However, even if one should miss it on pre-flight.... air flows right through them.... and I also use upside-down dixie-cups in my exhaust tailpipes....which would blow out on engine start-up.)

Pot Scrubber.jpg (10.7 KiB) Viewed 6901 times

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

The other day a good friend and flying buddy and I are on the way to the Golden Age Air Museum fly-in. Shortly after take of I opened my window vent and a single yellow jacket flew out and on to the windshield. He immediately panicked and grabbed something to kill the yellow jacket and nearly caused an uncontrolled left roll as he reached in front of me to my side of the wind screen. He missed the yellow jacket in his feeble attempt and I yelled leave the dam thing alone your just pissing him off.

Likely the yellow jacket just buzzed the windshield from right to left for a bit. But them Dan got the great idea if he opened the side window he could shoo the yellow jacket out. And so he did. He thought.

About 5 minutes later in mid conversation as he leaned back in his seat he left out a yell in pain and jumped forward on his set. Yes sir the yellow jacket he thought we shooed out the window actually went between his back and the seat. That yellow jacket was smart. He was flying in a pretty quick green 170, how much better could that be. Certainly he wasn't going to be blown out in that 150 mph blast outside the window. What do you think this was a stupid yellow jacket. Dan got stung twice before we landed at the museum.

Of course as we came to a stop and he jumped out I quickly realized we had lost our tail wheel somewhere in route and Dan never received the proper attention he otherwise would have from the museum welcoming committee. You see a missing tail wheel is much more interesting to pilots than a yellow jacket sting.

Moral of the story is let the darn bees, yellow jackets and hornets alone and they probably won't hurt you. No need to attempt to squash them to the window or shoo them out the side.

[GAHorn]

Yellow, being a primary color of green, dislikes being corrupted.

I suspect that yellow-jacket flew up from behind, passed in front and entered the vent, as if to discourage people from riding in green airplanes.

[blueldr]

Bruce,
Re the above, how in hell did you get the wind speed outside of the window in the green 170 up to 150 MPH?

[GAHorn]

Dick,...I suspect he meant the prop-blast was estimated to be about 150 mph....which is all a green 'planes prop can generate. (Ever notice how most green airplanes have a different color on their prop tips? That's in order to obtain every advantage possible to overcome the green.)

On the other hand.... perhaps Bruce and Frank et al .... are simply coming out of the closet tree-huggers by flying-Green!

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

You guys are two easy. I threw that 150 mph in there along with the quick green comment to see if George was awake.

But it should have been obvious with the loss of the drag of the missing tail wheel we were lucky not to exceed VNE so 150 mph was no sweat.

[HA]

I had a mouse drop down from behind the panel and run up the inside of my pantleg once just at rotation in a Twin Comanche. I have since considered that successful takeoff one of my greatest aerial achievements

[170C]

Bruce, you are going to have to install a much stronger nut on your tail wheel to prevent it from being blown off. You apparently forgot that a standard nut & bolt, like those used on RED airplanes, just isn't strong enough for the superior speed of your green airplane.

George, your suggestions regarding using the items to prevent critters from gaining access to the cabin of our aircraft are good ones. Now, you probably should clarify for some of our far northern brothern what DIXIE Cups are. They may be sold under some other name up north

I have had to remove a large mud dobber/dirt dobber nest from one of my outside air vents and once had a wasp (better temperment than a yellow jacket) come into the cabin from a vent. Sure gets one's attention. Likewise I have ended up with multiple honey bees in the cabin on two occasions that got into the cabin while loading camping gear at Reklaw (WHICH HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO FIRE DANGER ). Both times I was able to catch them in a towel & release them outside. I have heard of a few incidents where pilots discovered snakes, some poisonous, in the cockpit while in flight. I can do without that excitement

[Dward]

I remember an article in AOPA pilot several yrs ago about a pilot in the SW who discovered a rattle snake in the cockpit of his Cessna after take off. Talk about distractions! As I remember he made a safe landing and a quick exit without being bitten.

[ghostflyer]

A number of years ago when my son was about 12 yrs old we were flying the 170A up to look at a property and just after landing ,my son spotted a small King Brown snake. These snakes even when a baby if they bite you they will ruin you day [bigtime]. next thing he is trying to kill it . I then had to kill it with a large stone. Next ,son wants to take it to school to show his mates. They only thing we had to put it in was a used flavoured milk carton. So prizing open the sealing tab on top ,I lowered the snake by the tail into the carton. So on the way home and nearly on finals the carton on the dash and son very pleased with himself ,something to show his friends at school, a head then forces its way out of the carton for a look and see. The King brown wasnt dead, and he was not very happy. The young fella was out of the front seat and into the back seat, That 700ft was the slowest final ever. I was Scared . One bite and you have minuets . 2 very scarred rats left that aircraft before it had come to a stop.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

The King brown wasnt dead, and he was not very happy.

Ok you win ghostflyer. Next time the plane interior is invaded by a single yellow jacket I'm going to think, well at least it's not a King Brown Snake I placed on my instrument panel.

[Bramlett]

The day of my check ride was an interesting one. I preflighted a Cessna 172 and departed Decatur Alabama enroute to Madison County Executive where the examiner was located. This was my third attempt as the previous two were canceled by the examiner due to weather scheduling etc. It was the windiest day. Winds were 90 @ 18 G 25. But, the examiner called me on my cell phone and said to hurry over and lets get this done.

When I took off from Decatur I noticed something come out of the vent and blow past me to the back. I didn't find any cause for concern at the time and kept on with my duties heading to the checkride. On final at Madison County, executing the best Xwind landing of my flying career so far, at about 50 feet from touchdown on RWY 18 " BANG" my right foot is on fire with pain. Repeated stings from red wasps. I got hit 3 times. I got parked and jumped out using my chart to swat the remaining offenders. The examiner was standing on the porch waiting for me looking puzzled. By now, my foot and leg are swollen from the stings. He comments, "that was a great landing, but what was all that commotion when you stopped?" I rolled up my pant leg to reveal the battle scars. He decided we should have lunch first before the checkride allow things to settle but was insistent that I make sure that no other wasps were going to be along for the ride.

Now, as an owner I use those same pads that George does to keep the vents plugged.