swarming as a danger to airplanes

[jhbee]

Hi guys,

Does anyone know in what height do bees fly during swarming? We're dealing with an airport management about having some colonies just outside the airport perimeter and their only concern is that during swarming periods, when large volumes of bees fly together these can be dangerous for planes, due to the fact of clogging air intake filters in the engines. Therefore they need to confirm how hight do swarming bees fly. Any idea?

Thanx

 

[flemage]

To be honest I don’t know, but cant be much more than the local land marks.

A swarm is looking for a home which its unlikely to find in the sky so the height of local trees the air control tower, church towers couple hundred feet max I would have thought.

 

[jhbee]

I thought it should be something like that, problem with this location is that planes are crossing airport perimeter when lading, so they are about 15-20 meters above ground. Traffic is quiet maybe a few small planes a week so the noise shouldn't be a problem.

thanx.

 

[user 6228]

I thought it should be something like that, problem with this location is that planes are crossing airport perimeter when lading, so they are about 15-20 meters above ground. Traffic is quiet maybe a few small planes a week so the noise shouldn't be a problem.

thanx.

looking at some research papers which involved filming swarms it appears in the abscence of obstacles they fly up to about 6m from the ground

http://www.rug.nl/fmns-research/theobio/events/_pdf/sc_eajexpbiol08.pdf


"The camera was mounted on a tripod located along
the swarm’s flight path (see Fig. 1) and aimed straight up...

camera’s focus was set manually to 3 m, which put its focal plane
at a vertical height that roughly corresponded to the center of the
swarm cloud.

 

[Fraise]

I would also be worried about the bees being deposited on the windscreen of a light aircraft and affecting the pilots view.
The typical approach speed of a small plane is around 60-70mph, and I doubt a swarm could change course that quickly.
Do microlights without windscreens use the airfield?

 

[johncorne]

looking at some research papers which involved filming swarms it appears in the abscence of obstacles they fly up to about 6m from the ground
[/I]

Damn. It's low flying time for the Apaches here in Helmund Province, West Berks. I've been training my swarms to try scaring them off. The choppers are probably at 20m when they fly over my house!

 

[oliver90owner]

clogging air intake filters in the engines

Do aero engines actually have air cleaners fitted? I would have thought it unlikely.

 

[taff..]

clogging air intake filters in the engines

Do aero engines actually have air cleaners fitted? I would have thought it unlikely.

piston engines quite possibly do.

gas turbines would not be harmed at all by insects, no matter how many go down the intake at a time

 

[richardbees]

The RAF Bomber Command Memorial was opened today in Green Park.

"I say Nav, can you plot a course to avoid these damned swarms!"

Modern aero engines can cope with bees - a flock of seagulls is another matter!

 

[VEG]

I thought the engines were tested with things as big as flocks of birds

 

[beech55]

Hi all.
I am a pilot and a beekeeper, in over 30 years of flying light aircraft etc for my job I have never heared of a problem with swarming bees...

it's unlikely ever to be a problem with small aircraft , birds can be a hazard to aircraft, but swarming bees are highly unlikely to get ingested in an air intake of an aircraft...

light aircraft and microlight all have some form of air filtration system and most have an alternate air source if the air intake gets blocked by ice etc

Hope that helps

D
PS airplane is what Americans call an aeroplane...a plane is something you smooth a lump of wood with...yeah

 

[Onge]

I thought the engines were tested with things as big as flocks of birds

Yea don't they fire dead chickens into the engines with no problem ?

A swarm would do nothing. In my opinion.

 

[richardbees]

Craig,

Remember that American Airways Boeing that was heroically landed a couple of years ago on the Hudson River, NY - bird strike in both engines?

Rich

One of my hives was desperately in need of more room this evening...but i was wearing sandals so they'll just have to wait...

 

[REDWOOD]

Yea don't they fire dead chickens into the engines with no problem ?

A swarm would do nothing. In my opinion.

They fire dead chickens at the windscreen

 

[beech55]

Invite some of the pilots around to your apiary..let them see some amazing flying...enjoy your bees

 

[VEG]

They fire dead chickens at the windscreen

Thought that was frozen ones

 

[REDWOOD]

Invite some of the pilots around to your apiary..let them see some amazing flying...enjoy your bees

I think they would much prefer watching Hornets flying

 

[richardbees]

redwood

Yeah..... Tom Cruise rules!

 

[Holly Bees]

in a nutshell no... most folks in larger craft are doing less than 280mph below 10,000 ft and around 165 mph below 500ft these speeds along with the windscreen usually sorts the bees out. If they go through the hot section 425c-900c usually gets the Varroa count down!

 

[REDWOOD]

Thought that was frozen ones

Both I think I seen it on Mythbusters or how it's made, love those programs