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Oh crap

Specifically, bird crap.

Ever since the birth of aviation, birds have been a thorn in the sides of pilots and aircraft owners. For some reason, they just love aircraft. I mean, I can leave my car parked outside for a month, and it's unlikely a bird will do anything other than possibly decorate it a little bit. But an airplane? For some reason, birds think airplanes are just the best when it comes to setting up housekeeping.

Based on the evidence that I've had to clean off a couple of times now, some birds have decided that the tail cone of my airplane is a really cool place to be. I suspect there's a nest in there, but I'm honestly at a loss how to get it out short of disassembling the tail assembly. The last time I went up, there was a funky odor in the plane, whose source I'm assuming is what the birds have left behind in the tail of the plane. There's a vent between the cabin and the rear fuselage. Air normally passes from the cabin to the rear through that vent, and then out the ventilation exhaust on the left side of the plane.

I'm considering trying to block off the opening between the stabilator and the tail cone, but I'm afraid of trapping the birds in there and then having them die and start decomposing. Not to mention the possibility of baby birds. I've been flying a couple of times with this possible nest, but if it's constructed well enough, it very well could have survived with no damage.

At the very least, when the plane goes in for annual, we'll get it all cleaned out. But this is very annoying. After it's cleaned out, I'll definitely get some sort of barrier. Bruce's Custom Covers makes covers for that part of the plane, but mine has the spin kit installed so it would likely have to be even more custom than normal to fit over the additional structure.

At least they're not in my engine compartment. Fingers crossed they won't ever be.

Comments

  1. GaryMay 28, 2021 at 3:57 AM

    Had the same problem until I purchased a tail cone cover. I pulled the side inspection panels off and was able to clean everything out. If there is bird "byproducts" clean with soap and water and then corrosion treat the area. here is a pic of my clean out, https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_JD8tvb3xEXU/S8pKQ6zhdRI/AAAAAAAAEe0/grkSN0W05GI/s1600/nest+1.jpg

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