Keeping the Birds out.

[303whitaker]

Found Spike Ball replacement set 2 for $5 at Wal-Mart perfect to keep birds out of wing at aileron pushrod.

[Robert Lees]

Good idea.
I had an experience with (I think) raccoon occupation in my US BC12D this month May 2024. They appeared to have got in through the lack of bungee covers. They chewed almost nothing inside the cockpit. No damage to any structure, wiring, fabric, bungees, or anything. Footprints all over. Perhaps nesting to raise young. This is my first experience of any animal/bird infiltration since I got the aircraft in 2015.

But they decided to use the gap between the rudder pedals and the firewall as a dumping ground.





It was the whole width of the fuselage!

Many hours of cleaning later, floorboard removal etc, many rubber gloves and towels and heaving at the smell, and liberal use of disinfectant, I was able to take a fresh-smelling Taylorcraft to the Black Hills SD and to Minot & other lovely places.

In Deadwood, South Dakota, we found a cake shop with some apparently "nice" cakes. We declined.



Upon my return, I hastily fitted the bungee covers I'd been lazy not installing earlier!

[waltermrich]

Did you fly to the airport at Custer State Park and how was it ?

[Robert Lees]

I did during my last trip to that area in 2019. It was fine then, no reason to suspect any change since.

[waltermrich]

I have been thinking of flying there just wondering is there anything there other than a runway? Thanks and is there any way to get anywhere in the park from there.

[Robert Lees]

Walter: there's a runway. That's it. It's a USFS runway. It's tarmac, but so remote we daren't shut off the engines in case we couldn't get them started again. Nice place, though.

[waltermrich]

Wow thank you, really sparse, but makes one want to stop there. It is beautiful country.

[wmfife]

Rob Lees your description of the awful stench on the floorboards makes me want to ask why you're sure these were Raccoons? Known as generally clean animals by nature they lack what other possess- namely anal scent glands in particular ones that secrete foul-smelling fluid directly into the poop as a deterrent to attackers.
This trait is however found in the American Opossum, our only marsupial- and I know of this because after one decided to relieve himself inside my clothes dryer I haven't been able to dry clothes in it since.
To my knowledge only the two or three species of Skunk here can top this. Could you have had an invasion by Opossum instead? After all they didn't survive living with dinosaurs by dumb luck.