Cicadas found during a preflight inspection. [Courtesy Blake Love, Mansa Aero]
Key Takeaways:
Cicadas pose a significant problem for airplanes, as demonstrated by a Challenger 350's auxiliary power unit (APU) becoming clogged with thousands of the insects, preventing engine start.
The cicadas were attracted to the APU's noise and heat, swarming into the inlet and blocking airflow, a unique issue even for experienced technicians.
During cicada emergences, aircraft owners are advised to avoid leaving their airplanes with the APU running outside for extended periods to prevent similar equipment failures.
They make a mess when they hit the windscreen. They are distracting when they swarm you as you are trying to do a preflight inspection of the airplane. And sometimes, they can get into the equipment and make it fail.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
