Anti bird device/gustlock

[Hradec]

 My project for today was making a guest lock and a device to keep birds from landing on my vertical  stabilizer and crapping all over the place. 

Any other ideas to keep the birds away from my bird? Unfortunately  I'm just under a canopy.

Glenn 

64 m20e 

Villa park,  IL

[HRM]

What about getting a big-ass plastic garbage bag and pull it over the vert stab?

[Prior owner]

I’m guessing that plastic owls aren’t effective where you are? They tend to work for a while in some areas...

[Hradec]

I will have to try the plastic owl

Thanks

Glenn

[47U]

A couple short lengths of vinyl tubing with safety wire spikes works to keep the birds off the nav antennas.

Tom

[jaylw314]

14 minutes ago, 47U said:

A couple short lengths of vinyl tubing with safety wire spikes works to keep the birds off the nav antennas.

Tom

That is ghetto, and I like it! 

[larryb]

When I got my first Mooney it had to live in a shelter for a couple months while I waited for a hanger to free up. I swear it got dirtier under the shelter than it would have out in the open. Birds in the rafters were a big part of the problem.

I would not use any external control locking devices on my plane. More than a few planes have crashed due to locks left in place. Yes, you should catch such an error in your pre-flight and runup, but why add additional risk? I like the top bird-spike section, but I would mount the spike strip on a piece of 2" Vinyl tube slit down one side. Then it would be flexible, and probably blow off, it it were left on in flight. But it would be plenty secure to hold in place on the ground.

[Hradec]

11 hours ago, 47U said:

A couple short lengths of vinyl tubing with safety wire spikes works to keep the birds off the nav antennas.

Tom

Thanks for the tip, that will be my next project

[Hradec]

10 hours ago, larryb said:

When I got my first Mooney it had to live in a shelter for a couple months while I waited for a hanger to free up. I swear it got dirtier under the shelter than it would have out in the open. Birds in the rafters were a big part of the problem.

I would not use any external control locking devices on my plane. More than a few planes have crashed due to locks left in place. Yes, you should catch such an error in your pre-flight and runup, but why add additional risk? I like the top bird-spike section, but I would mount the spike strip on a piece of 2" Vinyl tube slit down one side. Then it would be flexible, and probably blow off, it it were left on in flight. But it would be plenty secure to hold in place on the ground.

I will be attaching some streamers to my homemade devices. Waiting for a hangar also

[carusoam]

Plastic owl on the vertical prop blade... keeps the other birds from being able to land...

rubber snakes on the wings are also a common visual scare tactic...

Unfortunately, none of them move... so the vermin May get used to seeing them...

+1 to not adding methods of locking flight controls from the outside.  You are already having a bad day if you miss something like that... it can always get worse... 

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic...

Best regards,

-a-

[DXB]

47 minutes ago, carusoam said:

 

+1 to not adding methods of locking flight controls from the outside.  You are already having a bad day if you miss something like that... it can always get worse... 

 

Eloquently put , and more importantly exactly what I was thinking .  Life being what it is, we all have one of those days, eventually. Bird crap, while infuriating, doesn't impair rudder travel.   

[kpaul]

Not around an airplane, but the plastic owl my dad had to keep the Nuthatch's from trying to peck through the cedar siding on his house was so "scary" that the birds built a nest on the same platform that held the owl.

I use bird spikes around my house to keep the swallow from building their mud nests on the covered patio.

For a simple way to attach the bird spikes to the tail, use a pool noodle.  They are very cheap and you can get them in bright colors.

Since birds love to get into the rear of the Mooney, a large sponge will block the entrance between the elevator and empennage. 

[Prior owner]

I’m changing my recommendation to multiple rubber snakes and a scarecrow.