Blow out static port

wrote:
Hi group,

There are larve in my static ports again.

Disconnect the static line as close to the static port blockage as
possible and blow out (not toward the instruments).

Depending on the type of bug, you may not have any other choice but
compressed air. There's some type of larvae that find the tiny static
hole in my pitot blade to be just the right size for growing. They
build some kind of goopy cocoon in there. Every time I've blown them
out it took more that 120 lbs. of pressure to get them to budge.

Good luck,

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

OWE!!! John, 120 psi? That sounds like overkill. But if that's the
only way you can get them to budge... What kind are they? I have a
PA28-180 and it sounds like I'd hate to get those.

Especially since everyone seem to be forgetting one thing:
The rules say that if you open the static system AT ALL, you have to
reperform the IFR certification test. Ka-ching -- $100 or so down the
tube.


Chuck
N7398W

On 3 May 2005 05:57:20 -0700, wrote:

Thanks for the info.

I will be careful when I try to blow out the static ports.

Now I have to try something to prevent the larvea to block them.
The pitot is just a piece of bended tube under the wing, no problem
there.
The ports are two small holes on both sides of the fuselage just behind
the cockpit.
To cover them and attach something to it that makes it clear that they
are covered will become a challenge.

-Kees


Suggestion Kees,

Whatever you come up with to cover the ports, run strips of that
bright orange safety tape from the two covers to a point in front of
the windshield and use velcro to attach them together there.

That way, with the tape over the doors and in front of the windshield
-- you should never forget the covers before takeoff.


Chuck

Thanks Chuck,

Knowing myself, I'm completely capable to forget something like that,
whatever I try.
On the other hand, from the little experience I have I know a plane
flies perfectly well with blocked static ports :-(
So, I'm not too worried about that, since I only fly day-VFR.

But I'm going to try your suggestion anyway.

-Kees

I just recently saw an episode of "Air Emergency" that talked about an
Air Peru flight (I may have the details wrong). Basically a 757 take
off at night over the dark ocean and no static system. The pilots never
figured out the problem. They knew their instruments were wrong but
they assumed ATCs altitude readout was correct (which it wasn't the
transponder is also served by the static system). In short, the cause
was a $1/hr aircraft washer who put duct tape over the static ports
before washing the plane. Boeing ended up sending a lot of money to
family members. The interesting thing is that the 757 maint manual says
to only use special Boeing tape (bright orange) when coving up static
ports.

-Robert

Robert M. Gary wrote:
I just recently saw an episode of "Air Emergency" that talked about an
Air Peru flight (I may have the details wrong). Basically a 757 take
off at night over the dark ocean and no static system. The pilots never
figured out the problem. They knew their instruments were wrong but
they assumed ATCs altitude readout was correct (which it wasn't the
transponder is also served by the static system). In short, the cause
was a $1/hr aircraft washer who put duct tape over the static ports
before washing the plane. Boeing ended up sending a lot of money to
family members. The interesting thing is that the 757 maint manual says
to only use special Boeing tape (bright orange) when coving up static
ports.

Yeah, I've seen that episode. It's always troubled me that the pilots never
figured out the static ports were blocked, and didn't know the transponder
altitude was based on the static pressure. I've wondered whether that part was
true, or whether the truth was altered for dramatic effect. It's just
inconceivable to me that they didn't know these things. 'course, I wasn't there.

Dave

On 5/4/2005 11:46, Dave Butler wrote:

Robert M. Gary wrote:
I just recently saw an episode of "Air Emergency" that talked about an
Air Peru flight (I may have the details wrong). Basically a 757 take
off at night over the dark ocean and no static system. The pilots never
figured out the problem. They knew their instruments were wrong but
they assumed ATCs altitude readout was correct (which it wasn't the
transponder is also served by the static system). In short, the cause
was a $1/hr aircraft washer who put duct tape over the static ports
before washing the plane. Boeing ended up sending a lot of money to
family members. The interesting thing is that the 757 maint manual says
to only use special Boeing tape (bright orange) when coving up static
ports.

Yeah, I've seen that episode. It's always troubled me that the pilots never
figured out the static ports were blocked, and didn't know the transponder
altitude was based on the static pressure. I've wondered whether that part was
true, or whether the truth was altered for dramatic effect. It's just
inconceivable to me that they didn't know these things. 'course, I wasn't there.

Dave

If this is the same episode I'm thinking of, the co-pilot did figure it
out, and told the pilot that the corrections were not going to work.
The Pilot basically told the co-pilot to keep his place.

If I remember correctly, this brought up new rules regarding the ability
of the co-pilot to take control from the pilot in such cases.



--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Student
Sacramento, CA

On 4 May 2005 09:03:12 -0700, Robert M. Gary wrote:

The interesting thing is that the 757 maint manual says
to only use special Boeing tape (bright orange) when coving up static
ports.

-Robert

Yes and nobody knows that McDonalds sells hot coffee and you shouldn't pour
it on your crotch.

With the ability of skumbag attourneys to convince a hand-picked dufus jury
that the evil big company needs to pay the dead and injured, no matter who
is wrong, things like that will continue and all us consumers and
stockholders pay. Besides, it's a bunch easier to file suit against a US
company than a foreign airline.

Case in point - In the firestone tire suit for over $1B, the parties to the
class got a coupon for $40 or so off their next set of tires. The lawyers
got the rest.

How many of you non-attourney smokers benefited from the tobacco suit? I
know one lawyer that purchased a $30M Gulfstream with his part of the
settlement. You think the companies paid for this? Nope - us consumers.
Even if you don't smoke your insurance bill went up and mutual fund went
down.


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Mark, where do you fly out of. I'm in Sacramento too.

-Robert

C. wrote:

OWE!!! John, 120 psi? That sounds like overkill. But if that's the
only way you can get them to budge... What kind are they? I have a
PA28-180 and it sounds like I'd hate to get those.

Yep, when 60, 80 and 100 lbs. didn't work, I just kept bumping it up.
BTW - when the clog finally lets loose, it's like some sort of
explosion. I've never been able to tell what kind of bugs they were,
since the only thing that comes out is a big blog of orange goo. I
just know that whatever they are, they do their nesting here in central
AZ in June and July.


Especially since everyone seem to be forgetting one thing:
The rules say that if you open the static system AT ALL, you have to
reperform the IFR certification test. Ka-ching -- $100 or so down
the
tube.

Fortunately, that's not a problem for my VFR bird. If I had to
re-certify every time it happened, that would just be adding insult to
injury :-) Usually, the tennis ball I keep on the pitot blade does a
good job of keeping them out, but every time I've forgotten to put it
on during the nesting season, I've been hit.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

On 5/4/2005 13:38, Robert M. Gary wrote:

Mark, where do you fly out of. I'm in Sacramento too.

-Robert


I'm currently flying out of Sacramento Executive (KSAC). I'm in a
Part 141 IFR training program with Sky Walk, Inc., a local FBO there.

--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Student
Sacramento, CA