Bug Smashing

[Dallas]

Can anyone explain bug smashing?

I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways and
maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.

Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
matter of days.

Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet. If
they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here on the
surface.


--
Dallas

[WingFlaps]

> Can anyone explain bug smashing?
>
> I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways and
> maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.
>
> Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
> matter of days.
>
> Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet. If
> they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here on the
> surface.
>
Could it be that your plane is nearly always going much faster than
your car and the probability of a bug smash is proportional to the
square of velocity?

Cheers

[Jim Logajan]

Dallas > wrote:
> Can anyone explain bug smashing?

I think it's a sport of some sort. Kind of like pumpkin or watermelon
smashing.

> I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways
> and maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.

Where do you live that you can drive 80 mph and not exceed the speed limit
- or run into very many bugs!?

> Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug
> in a matter of days.

Hmmm. Maybe if you fly down the freeway at 5 ft AGL you can reduce the bug
spatter on the wings? I mean if your car gets so few bugs at near that
altitude and along those routes....

> Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet.
> If they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here
> on the surface.

The bugs are clearly getting high.

Or maybe they are trying to stay clear of frogs.

[Dallas]

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:08:53 -0800 (PST), WingFlaps wrote:

> Could it be that your plane is nearly always going much faster than
> your car and the probability of a bug smash is proportional to the
> square of velocity?

It could be, but I've been up there in the buck fifty and seen cars down
there going faster.



--
Dallas

[Dallas]

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:20:06 -0000, Jim Logajan wrote:

> I think it's a sport of some sort. Kind of like pumpkin or watermelon
> smashing.

No, that's a rock group...

Surely this group has an entomologist that can enlighten us on the altitude
preferences of the various flying insects.


--
Dallas

[Al G[_1_]]

"Dallas" > wrote in message
...
>
> Can anyone explain bug smashing?
>
> I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways and
> maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.
>
> Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
> matter of days.
>
> Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet. If
> they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here on the
> surface.
>
>
> --
> Dallas

I think the bugs hear you and are attracted. They sort of fly over to
you to see what's go..Splat.

Al G

[Maxwell]

"Dallas" > wrote in message
...
>
> Can anyone explain bug smashing?
>
> I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways and
> maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.
>
> Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
> matter of days.
>
> Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet. If
> they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here on the
> surface.
>
>

Come on Dallas, that's an easy one. The bugs know where the roads are and
avoid us. In the air we have the advantage of stealth!! They have no idea
where to expect us, and can't possibly out run us!!!! AAAHHHHHH HA HA HA
HA HA HA HA!!!!

No, actually I think it's because we probably just wash our cars a lot more
often than our rental planes. Ever looked at the belly?

[Kevin Clarke]

Dallas wrote:
> On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:20:06 -0000, Jim Logajan wrote:
>
>
>> I think it's a sport of some sort. Kind of like pumpkin or watermelon
>> smashing.
>>
>
> No, that's a rock group...
>
> Surely this group has an entomologist that can enlighten us on the altitude
> preferences of the various flying insects.
>
>
>

We're lucky, we happen to have one of the world's leading entomologists
(etymologist, gynecologist, numismaticist, and psychologist) reading
every thread. He's sure to weigh in shortly.

As for the bugs, most people don't realize how depressing it is to be a
bug. It is a form of mass suicide.

KC

[Tina]

This is so obvious. Bugs take off and land, don't they? Where should
they take off and land? You don't take off and land on roads, do you?




On Dec 7, 6:25 pm, "Maxwell" > wrote:
> "Dallas" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
> > Can anyone explain bug smashing?
>
> > I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways and
> > maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.
>
> > Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
> > matter of days.
>
> > Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet. If
> > they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here on the
> > surface.
>
> Come on Dallas, that's an easy one. The bugs know where the roads are and
> avoid us. In the air we have the advantage of stealth!! They have no idea
> where to expect us, and can't possibly out run us!!!! AAAHHHHHH HA HA HA
> HA HA HA HA!!!!
>
> No, actually I think it's because we probably just wash our cars a lot more
> often than our rental planes. Ever looked at the belly?

[Don Byrer]

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 15:42:16 -0600, Dallas
> wrote:

>
>Can anyone explain bug smashing?
>
>I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways and
>maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.
>
>Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
>matter of days.
>
>Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet. If
>they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here on the
>surface.



Now...C'mon..didnt your CFI teach you that bugs congregate at the
intersection of the 3degree glideslope and the inner marker...even if
there is no instrument approach?

Yeesh...everybody knows dat...
Don Byrer KJ5KB
Radar Tech & Smilin' Commercial Pilot Guy
Glider & CFI wannabe
kj5kb-at-hotmail.com

"I have slipped the surly bonds of earth; now if I can just land without bending the gear..."
"Watch out for those doves...<smack-smack-smack-smack...>"

[Ron Wanttaja]

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 15:42:16 -0600, Dallas >
wrote:

>
> Can anyone explain bug smashing?
>
> I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways and
> maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.
>
> Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
> matter of days.


If you're flying a Fly Baby like me, don't forget to check the trailing edges,
too! :-)

Ron Wanttaja

[Jack Allison]

Dallas wrote:

> Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
> matter of days.

Nope, not if you wipe the leading edges off after every flight :-) Ok,
sure, heading to OSH, I don't do so...but once I'm there, a few minutes
with a damp rag and no more bugs.


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-Instrument Airplane
Student - CP-ASEL
Chief Bug-wiper-offer after flying our Arrow

"To become a Jedi knight, you must master a single force. To become
a private pilot you must strive to master four of them"
- Rod Machado

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

[Morgans[_2_]]

"Al G" > wrote

> I think the bugs hear you and are attracted. They sort of fly over to
> you to see what's go..Splat.
Ya' know the last thing that goes though his mind, don't you?

His butt!

Really, could it be the aerodynamic difference between airplanes and cars?

Cars are designed to make air go up and over them, to reduce drag.

Airplanes _must_ make air go over and under the wing to make them fly.
(according to some theories of lift that have been widely debated here, but
I'll save you all of that <g>)

Since so much more air (with lots of bugs in it) goes past on top and on the
bottom, more must impact the wing's leading edge, right?

I-dunno, but it's an idea. :-)
--
Jim in NC

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

"Morgans" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Al G" > wrote
>
>> I think the bugs hear you and are attracted. They sort of fly over to
>> you to see what's go..Splat.
> Ya' know the last thing that goes though his mind, don't you?
>
> His butt!
>
> Really, could it be the aerodynamic difference between airplanes and cars?
>

More likely it's the 10,000 cars, trucks and busses that are just in front
of you on the highway that "cleaned out" all the bugs before you got there.

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

[[email protected]]

Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe <The Sea Hawk at wow way d0t com> wrote:
> "Morgans" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > "Al G" > wrote
> >
> >> I think the bugs hear you and are attracted. They sort of fly over to
> >> you to see what's go..Splat.
> > Ya' know the last thing that goes though his mind, don't you?
> >
> > His butt!
> >
> > Really, could it be the aerodynamic difference between airplanes and cars?
> >

> More likely it's the 10,000 cars, trucks and busses that are just in front
> of you on the highway that "cleaned out" all the bugs before you got there.

This is the most obvious answer.

About the only time I ever get any significant bugs on the windshield
of the car is when driving rural roads with little traffic, which
would support that theory.


--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

[Dave[_5_]]

> More likely it's the 10,000 cars, trucks and busses that are just in front
> of you on the highway that "cleaned out" all the bugs before you got there.

.... or is it because there are fewer bugs these days? I remember car
windshields getting so covered with bug splats that you had to clean
them several times a day. That was 50 years ago. Doesn't seem to
happen today.

For that matter, I remember seeing huge flocks of birds as well. Don't
see many these days.

David Johnson

[John Halpenny]

On Dec 9, 12:59 am, Dave > wrote:
> > More likely it's the 10,000 cars, trucks and busses that are just in front
> > of you on the highway that "cleaned out" all the bugs before you got there.
>
> ... or is it because there are fewer bugs these days? I remember car
> windshields getting so covered with bug splats that you had to clean
> them several times a day. That was 50 years ago. Doesn't seem to
> happen today.
>
> For that matter, I remember seeing huge flocks of birds as well. Don't
> see many these days.
>
The birds all starved because there were no bugs to eat:-}

I don't see a lot of bugs in town or on the main highways, but anyhing
more rural brings out a flock of them.

There was a story in "Air and Space" magazine about a plane fitted
with an optical glass bubble for air to air movie work. They covered
the glass with paper to protect it from bugs on takeoff, then tore off
the paper at altitude before they started filming.

John Halpenny