All students operate under the supervision and instructions of an Instructor. Unless they willfully act in contravention of their instructor they cannot be blamed. With the current requirement that aircraft are disinfected between each flight then clear unambiguous instructions: what, when, with and how the aircraft should be cleaned must be detailed by the organisation. Their instructions are those that are put into practice, and in the case of a student they must be overseen by their instructor. Don't ever blame the student they are signed up to learn.

I've lost count on how many times in the media that it is stated, Coronavirus spreads: in water droplets (increasingly it is believed they could be spread airborne dry) exhaled by coughing, sneezing and from speech projection. If a person sneezes into their hands it is believed the virus can also be spread by touch. Whether the virus can be found on surfaces from coughing/sneezing, spit or touch is anyone's guess. Just clean, clean and clean. Theory can come later when all has calmed down and a lot more has been learned.

Digging a bit further into the comments that accompany the original tweet, the same poster mentioned that the student used something obtained from a vodka distillery....

The general instructions for prevention of Covid are wash well with soap and water, which seems to correspond really well to what Cessna says to clean their interiors, so it seems to me that following the instructions (POH) would be very appropriate.

Otherwise, nearly any cleaning product I have seen has instructions which include the words "test in an inconspicuous area before applying...". So, between that wise general premise, and not having permission to wipe something unproven, uninstructed around someone else's plane, I think the wiper bears some responsibility for damage.

It would seem to me that as will a lot of the things about Covid19 the cure is worse than the illness, in the rush to virtue signal all sorts of stupid things are going on.

In the UK your chances of meeting someone who is infected are very small, the chances of becoming infected are quite small and you chances of death are dependent on your general heath so for most people this is very small.

So for this we have wrecked the economy, imprisoned our old people, Not educated our young and take all sorts of needless so called precautions.

The damage to aircraft interiors is just another symptom of the mass hysteria of being seen to do something no matter how futile .

Because bleach needs very little liquid to be effective as a disinfectant, and has no effect on most hard materials.

G

My wife, who has lost two relatives and a colleague to this disease, would tend to disagree with you. The colleague's family, a wife and two teenage boys, probably would too.

G

I dont agree with much of your post, but this is spot on. Most middle aged and elderly people are behaving responsibly. It is increasingly clear that we are moving from a low risk to an increasing risk due to the young partying, pub crawling and simply ignoring advice. The worry is they will then 'infect granny'. That is why we need precautions, or more accurately restrictions

Sodium hypochlorite can damage metal.

Here in Oz one state is saying the virus is carried predominately by the 25 year olds.

Except we haven't really. Well some people have, but others refuse to wear masks, avoid public gatherings or demanded schools be immediately reopened, and as a consequence the infection rates and the associated death toll are increasing

Sure, it's not a real problem ... unless you get infected or die from it

With infection numbers, hospital admissions and deaths still continuing to drop, and more people now dying of flu than of COVID19 (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulat...ding31july2020), where’s the evidence for your 'increasing risk'?

Sodium Hypochlorite (AKA bleach or chloros) certainly doesn't like copper or aluminium. Of course extent of harm depends on concentration and length of exposure.

Oops. Looks like in the Covid-19 Hysteria era common sense has went well and truly oot the windae. Pandemic of stupidity. Who thinks its a good idea to spray various fragile (and in many cases decades old) materials with all sorts of chemicals?

To quote Homer Simpson, "D'oh!"

This article was published in the avweb newsletter today.

Some Disinfectants Can Damage Airplanes

Russ Niles

August 30, 2020

AOPA is warning aircraft operators to be careful in choosing the disinfectants used to keep aircraft COVID-19 safe. A Florida flight school had to remove the instruments and switches and resurface the panels of two Cessna 172s after a well-meaning renter used ethanol-based sanitizer to clean the yokes of the aircraft. The overspray hit the panel and damaged the paint on the panel of the aircraft owned by Atlas Aviation in Tampa. The client got the disinfectant from a distillery and used it despite the school supplying safe disinfectant wipes and instructions on how to use them, according to AOPA.

Ethanol can play havoc with rubber seals, shellacked surfaces and plastic parts in airplanes and vehicles and is not recommended for those uses. Many items used by pilots can be harmed by ethanol, including tablets, portable GPSs and touch screens. Avionics manufacturers recommend using disinfectants that use isopropyl alcohol and don’t contain any ammonia.

Milton provide the answer - dilute the traditional cleaning fluid (coronavirus effective) - using the normal ratios - into their surface cleaner rather than water and light spray on to surfaces (or clothes and use those to apply) - allow 15 minutes and wipe off any remaining residue (usually evaporated and no sticky residue) and you are 'off to the races'. Also highly effective hand wash.,

Plant based - safe and effective on babies and pretty much any other surface !!

Textron (Cessna / Beech) recommendations
 

Amazing how many operators of Cessna / Beech aircraft do not have access to the manufacturers online FREE portal.....

Preserving & Disinfecting Your Aircraft Print Listing
ATA: N/A Models: All Models Published: 04-08-2020Textron Aviation is closely aligned with the guidance of government and local public health authorities in the regions we operate to ensure all necessary actions and precautions are taken.



Disinfecting your aircraft:

Zip-Chem Calla 1452 and Netbiokem DSAM may be used to disinfect an aircraft interior.1 In testing performed by Textron Aviation’s materials engineering team, these products did not adversely affect samples of hard surfaces, interior leather, or windows. Aircraft interiors furnished with custom-based materials may need further evaluation by spot-testing on an inconspicuous area.



If you're unable to attain these disinfectants due to shortages, we recommend these alternative cleaning options (Please note, cleaning may remove germs, viruses and other contaminants from surfaces, but may not be effective to kill them):

• Aircraft furnishings: We recommend using isopropyl alcohol (IPA)/water mix (60% IPA/40% water, by volume). For best results, wipe the surface with an IPA/water mix and let it dry. This mix can also be sprayed onto soft surfaces, like carpet, but do not use this IPA/water mix on aircraft leather and windows.
• Leather and windows: Any commercially available soap and water, such as dishwashing soap, can be used.
• Electronic displays: For glass products with anti-reflective (AR) coating, use a concentration of greater than 50% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) with a micro-fiber cloth to prevent scratches. Do not use bleach or Lysol® wipes, or any cleaners with Citric Acid or Sodium Bicarbonate as these can etch the coating on these displays. AR glass is used on displays and touchscreens in the Garmin G1000, G3000, and G5000 systems, as well as Collins Proline21 and Proline Fusion. Do not use IPA on acrylic, Lexan, or Polycarbonate screens such as the Garmin GNS 430/530.

The following options are not approved for use in Textron Aviation aircraft:

• Ozone generators: Ozone can be highly reactive to organic materials. Depending on its degree of ozonation, this method may degrade surfaces or rubber hoses.
• Hydrogen Peroxide: any solution of hydrogen peroxide may evaporate when used as a mist, degrading leathers, acrylic, or polycarbonate window coatings.

In the U.S., Textron Aviation is using disinfecting solutions to clean all aircraft upon their arrival to a company-owned service center location.



In the EU, we request that any aircraft being brought to a Textron Aviation facility for maintenance is first disinfected in accordance with EASA Safety Directive 2020-02 Operational measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus ‘SARS-CoV-2’ infection. While we are still confirming availability at all EU company-owned locations, our contracted cleaning service providers may be able to support this directive. Your Textron Aviation representative can provide you with additional information.



1 These solutions are recommended by their manufacturers as generally effective against human coronavirus strains. Textron Aviation is not aware if they have been specifically tested for effectiveness against COVID-19.



Preserving your aircraft:

If you decide to preserve your aircraft during this time, reference Chapter 10 in your Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) for directions and information. In addition to offering overall guidance, Chapter 10 will point you to the relevant Engine Maintenance Manual (EMM) for your aircraft, which provides engine storage requirements. Requirements for several lengths of downtime, including "Ninety-One Days and Over Storage," are available for customers to determine what is necessary for their aircraft. All storage steps should be documented in the logs if required or in a preservation log. Please note, if your aircraft has been exposed to environmental contaminants (such as salt water or runway de-icing fluids), we recommend a complete aircraft wash before storage. Refer to AMM Chapter 12, Exterior Cleaning, for further information.