Plane-crashes because of collision with bees ???

I heard that a collision between a plane and a bee can be devastating.

Is that true ?

If it's an open cockpit and the bee hits the pilot, sure.

In article ,
(Dan Simper) wrote:

I heard that a collision between a plane and a bee can be devastating.

Is that true ?



Yes -- for the bee!

Dan Simper wrote:
I heard that a collision between a plane and a bee can be
devastating.

Is that true ?

I have a hard time imagining a common scenario where this could
happen. A bee hitting an airplane will usually just go Splat!

A few years ago I had the misfortune of riding my motorcycle through
a swarm of large bumble bees at 85 mph. The impacts were a little
painful, but certainly not dangerous. The worst part was having to
spend about 15 min. digging fried bee goo out of the cooling fins on my
cylinders.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

I swallowed a bee once while riding my bicycle to work. Stung me in the
back of my throat. Since I worked in a hospital, and was only a couple of
miles from there, already at speed with my heart rate up, I figured my best
option was to keep going, hoping my airway didn't obstruct before I got
there. Went straight up to my department (anesthesia), grabbed the first
anesthesiologist I saw and told him what had happened. We went straight
down to the ENT clinic and they found a bee sting sticking in the back of my
throat behind the uvula. I felt terrible for hours. A bee can certainly
bring down a bikie. I have serious doubts about an airplane, though.

OTOH, I heard once of a 172 that was nearly brought down when the pilots
opened the air vents after takeoff and out came a swarm of angry wasps that
had nested in the air vent intake while the plane was on the ground. I
think that was in "I learned about flying from that" 25 years ago or so.
Ouch!

--
Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)


wrote in message
oups.com...

Dan Simper wrote:
I heard that a collision between a plane and a bee can be
devastating.

Is that true ?

I have a hard time imagining a common scenario where this could
happen. A bee hitting an airplane will usually just go Splat!

A few years ago I had the misfortune of riding my motorcycle through
a swarm of large bumble bees at 85 mph. The impacts were a little
painful, but certainly not dangerous. The worst part was having to
spend about 15 min. digging fried bee goo out of the cooling fins on my
cylinders.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

Bob Chilcoat wrote:

OTOH, I heard once of a 172 that was nearly brought down when the pilots
opened the air vents after takeoff and out came a swarm of angry wasps that
had nested in the air vent intake while the plane was on the ground.

I had a wasp come in the air intake of a 150 on final once. I made the mid-field
exit, pulled the mixture, and said "your airplane" as I went out the door.

George Patterson
He who would distinguish what is true from what is false must have an
adequate understanding of truth and falsehood.

And did the instructor hang around to taxi the plane?

Seems like a good argument for the mesh I've seen in some plane's vent
inlets.

-Malcolm Teas

Seems like a good argument for the mesh I've seen in some plane's vent
inlets.

-Malcolm Teas
- - -
That's why we have placed one of those little orange dish scrubber mesh
"thingies" in the air vent tube of our 172. It keeps the wasps from
getting into the vent system when they are looking for a home. -or- from
a flying bee/wasp to enter as we taxi down to the runway.
- - -
Al
1964 Skyhawk
Spokane, WA

--
Al Gilson
Spokane, WA USA
1970 VW Convertible
1964 Cessna Skyhawk

" wrote:

And did the instructor hang around to taxi the plane?

What instructor?

George Patterson
He who would distinguish what is true from what is false must have an
adequate understanding of truth and falsehood.

On 9 Feb 2005 11:08:41 -0800, "
wrote:


Dan Simper wrote:
I heard that a collision between a plane and a bee can be
devastating.

Is that true ?

I have a hard time imagining a common scenario where this could
happen. A bee hitting an airplane will usually just go Splat!

A few years ago I had the misfortune of riding my motorcycle through
a swarm of large bumble bees at 85 mph. The impacts were a little
painful, but certainly not dangerous. The worst part was having to

Never tangled with a Bald Faced Hornet, I take it. It's like being
hit with a hammer and that's when you are standing still. :-))

They are about twice the size of a bumblebee, with a white head that
reminds me of a skull. Just about as hard too.

But... bringing down an airplane. Inside, I can understand, but
structurally?

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

spend about 15 min. digging fried bee goo out of the cooling fins on my
cylinders.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)