Bug Smashing

Can anyone explain bug smashing?

I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways and
maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.

Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
matter of days.

Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet. If
they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here on the
surface.


--
Dallas

Can anyone explain bug smashing?

I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways and
maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.

Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
matter of days.

Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet. If
they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here on the
surface.

Could it be that your plane is nearly always going much faster than
your car and the probability of a bug smash is proportional to the
square of velocity?

Cheers

Dallas wrote:
Can anyone explain bug smashing?

I think it's a sport of some sort. Kind of like pumpkin or watermelon
smashing.

I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways
and maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.

Where do you live that you can drive 80 mph and not exceed the speed limit
- or run into very many bugs!?

Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug
in a matter of days.

Hmmm. Maybe if you fly down the freeway at 5 ft AGL you can reduce the bug
spatter on the wings? I mean if your car gets so few bugs at near that
altitude and along those routes....

Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet.
If they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here
on the surface.

The bugs are clearly getting high.

Or maybe they are trying to stay clear of frogs.

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:08:53 -0800 (PST), WingFlaps wrote:

Could it be that your plane is nearly always going much faster than
your car and the probability of a bug smash is proportional to the
square of velocity?

It could be, but I've been up there in the buck fifty and seen cars down
there going faster.



--
Dallas

On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:20:06 -0000, Jim Logajan wrote:

I think it's a sport of some sort. Kind of like pumpkin or watermelon
smashing.

No, that's a rock group...

Surely this group has an entomologist that can enlighten us on the altitude
preferences of the various flying insects.


--
Dallas

"Dallas" wrote in message
...

Can anyone explain bug smashing?

I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways and
maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.

Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
matter of days.

Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet. If
they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here on the
surface.


--
Dallas

I think the bugs hear you and are attracted. They sort of fly over to
you to see what's go..Splat.

Al G

"Dallas" wrote in message
...

Can anyone explain bug smashing?

I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways and
maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.

Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
matter of days.

Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet. If
they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here on the
surface.



Come on Dallas, that's an easy one. The bugs know where the roads are and
avoid us. In the air we have the advantage of stealth!! They have no idea
where to expect us, and can't possibly out run us!!!! AAAHHHHHH HA HA HA
HA HA HA HA!!!!

No, actually I think it's because we probably just wash our cars a lot more
often than our rental planes. Ever looked at the belly?

Dallas wrote:
On Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:20:06 -0000, Jim Logajan wrote:


I think it's a sport of some sort. Kind of like pumpkin or watermelon
smashing.


No, that's a rock group...

Surely this group has an entomologist that can enlighten us on the altitude
preferences of the various flying insects.




We're lucky, we happen to have one of the world's leading entomologists
(etymologist, gynecologist, numismaticist, and psychologist) reading
every thread. He's sure to weigh in shortly.

As for the bugs, most people don't realize how depressing it is to be a
bug. It is a form of mass suicide.

KC

This is so obvious. Bugs take off and land, don't they? Where should
they take off and land? You don't take off and land on roads, do you?




On Dec 7, 6:25 pm, "Maxwell" wrote:
"Dallas" wrote in message

...



Can anyone explain bug smashing?

I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways and
maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.

Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
matter of days.

Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet. If
they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here on the
surface.

Come on Dallas, that's an easy one. The bugs know where the roads are and
avoid us. In the air we have the advantage of stealth!! They have no idea
where to expect us, and can't possibly out run us!!!! AAAHHHHHH HA HA HA
HA HA HA HA!!!!

No, actually I think it's because we probably just wash our cars a lot more
often than our rental planes. Ever looked at the belly?

On Fri, 7 Dec 2007 15:42:16 -0600, Dallas
wrote:


Can anyone explain bug smashing?

I can drive my car around for a month, often at 80 mph on the freeways and
maybe get two or three bugs on the windshield.

Yet an airplane has every leading edge covered in layer of dried bug in a
matter of days.

Wouldn't you think there wouldn't be any bugs up there at 3,000+ feet. If
they are up there, why are they there? All the food is down here on the
surface.



Now...C'mon..didnt your CFI teach you that bugs congregate at the
intersection of the 3degree glideslope and the inner marker...even if
there is no instrument approach?

Yeesh...everybody knows dat...
Don Byrer KJ5KB
Radar Tech & Smilin' Commercial Pilot Guy
Glider & CFI wannabe
kj5kb-at-hotmail.com

"I have slipped the surly bonds of earth; now if I can just land without bending the gear..."
"Watch out for those doves...smack-smack-smack-smack..."