Creepy Crawlies in the Cockpit

[FlyingKiwi_73]

Hi all, no question just wanted to post this,

So I've done all my run ups, chatted to the Flight service chaps turning onto the runway for a quick departure as a chap is late downwind, full throttle, a few seconds later i felt something on my hand.

A nice hairy spider about a 50c piece size (English 2 pound coin) had crawled out of the throttle quadrant (i was in a PA38) and up my hand!!!!

I flicked it off (after letting out a scream not unlike a 13 year old school girl) got airborne and had a quick look around for it... couldn't find it.

Had a great flight wonderful day and weather..but every now and then I'd get that tickle feeling on my neck.

talking to one of the chaps at the club, its not uncommon apparently.

[Maoraigh1]

Not one of the Brown Recluse Spider group, then. Google if that doesn't mean anything.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

I went flying in the Chippy last week, and during my pre-flight I'd left the cowlings and canopy open while I went back to the hangar for some oil. On returning I was just in time to see an enormous wasp hover into the cockpit and disapear under the panel.

I wafted my map under there vigorously, and it re-appeared and flew off.

Would have been most unpleasant to be sharing the cosy confines of the DHC1 cockpit with that beast while in the air!

[mad_jock]

Ya big poof kiwi.

[FlyingKiwi_73]

I think it was a small 'Avondale' spider

Avondale spider - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, NZ (http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/ResearchAtTePapa/Research/NaturalEnvironment/InsectsSpidersAndSimilar/SpidersWeb/What/Pages/Avondale.aspx)

and yes Jock, i am a big girly.... i was about 5 knots away from rotating!! Itwas surprise more that any arachnophobic response.

still a great day for flying!!! did the twin island tour and buzzed the house..(from a totally legal height) excellent!!

[mad_jock]

Just wait until you have forgotten to turn your phone off and you get a call with a vib alarm on and its sitting on your right testical.

[mary meagher]

International gliding championship in Italy. Pilots enroute on competition task, when one realises he is not alone in the aircraft. Transmits:

'THERE'S A SNAKE IN MY COCKPIT!"

Various suggestions are forthcoming from fellow competitors.

"Fly higher and it will get cold and go to sleep!" "No, it will just get closer to him for warmth!" "Is it poisonous? how can I tell?" "You just look in its eyes and see if the pupils are round or eliptical...." etc. etc.

The pilot decided to land in the nearest suitable field and forfeit the points for that day. Subsequently, daily inspection of the gliders before flight was undertaken with remarkable zeal.

[mad_jock]

You would have to put a rubber snake in a mates glider for them to find on there preflight check.

[flybymike]

I recall reading many years ago of an insurance claim made by some trappers flying some sort of bushplane, possibly a C206, who had just shot a Moose, loaded it into the back of the aircraft and taken off. The Moose woke up and decided it didn't care for flying, or being incarcerated in an aerial charot.The resultant blood bath left a few more bullets and some smashed avionics on board before the pilot finally landed with a broken arm and severe lacerations.

[Pilot DAR]

I accompanied a buddy flying his dad's 150 many years ago. it was the first flight in a long time (hence my mentoring). As we cruised along, it began to get warm in the cockpit, so he pulled open his vent in the wing root. It had obviously been closed for some time, as once opened, the cockpit filled with bees. To make it worse, he instantly announced he was allergic to them.

With both windows opened, and a door forced as far open as I could, we got some of the bees out, and landed back in a hurry, carrying the rest who seemed happier in the back. it must have been a sight, with us rolling off the edge of the runway, and getting out before we'd even rolled to a stop!

Now, for the first flight of the season (or a long time), I open those vents on the ground first, if I think I might need them in flight!

[FlyingKiwi_73]

I'd heard of a glider pilot who had not done a thorough check of his glider upon rigging for the first time in summer.

While on tow he could hear a rolling rattling noise like somebody had put marbles in the wing.

He landed rather sharpish and found about 100 acorns! apparently squirels think Ka6 wings are great hiding places.

This tale maybe familiar to Lasham-ites

I did find a torch in the engine bay of a tommie once during pre-flight, it wasn't a small one either!

[ChrisJ800]

ENZED's fine, no poisonous critters there, unlike here in Oz. Squashed another scorpion in our house yesterday and got bitten by a jack jumper ant last week. I think they are the smallest critters that can kill a human. Ive only been bitten twice. First time was ok but last week my finger swelled up for 3 or 4 days. You can develop bad allergic reactions to them which can be fatal!

[flyingpony]

On my QXC in Florida at my first stop, I parked the 172 in the splitting sun and went to find someone to sign my form. The a/c had been sitting idle all week due maintenance and weather. When I came back 30 minutes later, it was crawling with 1000s of ants, instrument panel, seats, controls, air vents... I noticed a congregation around my David Clark's, so took them apart; they had laid literally thousands of eggs in the earpieces. I was able to clean them out and kill the ants in the 172. Of course, when I started the engine, another army emerged from behind the panel...

[Sir Niall Dementia]

Flying a helicopter across the South China Sea in the early '90's the P2 suddenly anounced he was going down the back for a while. He plugged in at the cabin attendants station and anounced "I'm not coming back up front, the biggest king cobra I've ever seen is asleep under my seat, you're on your own mate!"

We were 120 nm offshore with the north east monsson belt to fly through to get home, 19 passengers and the P2 down the back and me s*** scared of snakes. I have never, ever been so glad to get out of a cockpit in my life.

SND

[Pace]

Aircraft crashes after crocodile on board escapes and sparks panic - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/democraticrepublicofcongo/8078612/Aircraft-crashes-after-crocodile-on-board-escapes-and-sparks-panic.html)

And you are worried about a silly little spider? Flatten it :E

Pace

[mad_jock]

the biggest king cobra I've ever seen is asleep under my seat, you're on your own mate

Somethings a CRM course can never cover.

I could just imagine a bollocking for abandoning ones flight station.

Everypoint made would be answered by "I don't care there was a :mad: big snake under my seat"

Bet the gingers loved you when you got back, was it a tech log entry or just a casual BTW there is a snake under the FO's seat while passing.

[JEM60]

PILOT DAR. Yep, me too. Wasps in my case. Hurried priority landing, and always wore gloves every time after that!.

[flybymike]

was it a tech log entry or just a casual BTW there is a snake under the FO's seat while passing
Love it... :)

[FlyingKiwi_73]

Ok as all the other posts are much better i have changed the size of the spider to 'Dinner Plate' size, and that it was fully venomous, veraciously hungry and pissed off.

and when i landed it ate its way out of the back of the tommie.


Speaking of 172 vents the one on the plane i got my rating in was held in by selotape, it came out an clonked me one on the head when i was doing steep turns.

No king cobra's though....

[Red Leader]

A bright green locust appeared on the coaming in the cockpit of a Robin just as we were touching down on a desert strip in the Libyan sahara! I guess it must have come in one of the air vents. Not as dangerous as a snake, but a decent creepy crawly.

[Sir Niall Dementia]

The story got better; as I landed my fanged companion woke up and had a look around, I pulled both HP cocks and as the rotors coasted to a stop I left via the P1 emergency exit (big window next to the seat) As I left I yelled down the back "you have control Geoff!"

The evacuation of the cabin looked like one of those Cranfield emergency egress trials. As we all stood in a snake induced funk on the now blocked runway the snake appeared at the airstair door, slithered down the steps and hissed off, Geoff was right it was a biggie, about 7 ft.

The interview with the Chief Pilot took an awkward hour, and for the next month the engineers kept planting rubber snakes and spiders all around the aircraft, the joke went wrong the day the same P2 and myself found a banded krait in the forward hold while doing the walkround, we thought it was a fake until it moved, luckily it didn't move as fast as we did:mad:

[Exascot]

When I was down in The Okavango Delta earlier this year a pilot stayed overnight at the camp. In the morning he found his aircraft full of baboons. Those that couldn't fit in thought it was great fun jumping up and down on the wings. No damage but a big mess :eek:

[1.3VStall]

A few summers ago I was aerotowing gliders in a Pawnee. On the umpteenth tow, just as we were passing the upwind boundary a:mad:ing great wasp appeared under my nostrils - and I am allergic to wasp stings big time!

Fortunately the experienced glider pilot behind me managed tp stay with my gyrations as I swatted the b@stard away from my face a few times before I managed to open the fresh air scoop above my head and blow it down the back of the fuselage.

[mad_jock]

Exascot thats no way to talk about the line engineers

[hum]

Flybymike - your moose tale reminded me of this gem..


I shot a moose once. I was hunting up-state New York, and I shot a moose, and I strap him on to the fender of my car, and I'm driving home along the west side highway, but what I didn't realize was, that the bullet did not penetrate the moose. It just creased the scalp, knocking him unconscious. And I'm driving through the Holland tunnel - the moose woke up. So I'm driving with a live moose on my fender. The moose is signaling for a turn, y'know. There's a law in New York state against driving with a conscious moose on your fender, tuesday, thursday and saturday. And I'm very panicky, and then it hits me: some friends of mine is having a costume party. I'll go, I'll take the moose, I'll ditch him at the party. It wouldn't be my responsibillity.

So I drive up to the party and I knock on the door. The moose is next to me. My host comes to the door. I say "Hello. You know the Solomons". We enter. The moose mingles. Did very well. Scored. Two guys were trying to sell him insurance for an hour and a half. Twelve o'clock comes - they give out prizes for the best costume of the night. First price goes to the Burcowiches, a maried couple dressed as a moose. The moose comes in second. The moose is furious. He and the Burcowiches lock antlers in the living room. They knock each other unconscious. Now, I figured, is my chance. I grab the moose, strap him onto my fender, and shoot back to the roads, but - I got the Burcowiches. So I'm driving along with two jewish people on my fender, and there's a law in New York State ... tuesdays, thursdays and especially saturday....

The following morning the Burcowiches wake up in the woods, in a moose suit. Mr. Burcowich is shot, stuffed and mounted - at the New York Athletic Club, and the joke is on them, because they don't admit Jews.. :}:}

[flybymike]

That sounds a bit more plausible than my version....

[Wide-Body]

Whilst basically agreeing with Mad Jock about my antipodean friend if this had been the spider involver I might have had the same reaction.

PICTURES: Spider may have caused Afghanistan F-16 fighter aircraft to crash (http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pictures-spider-may-have-caused-afghanistan-f-16-fighter-aircraft-to-crash-215843/)