AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013 - 26

FLY WELL

BY DR. JONATHAN M. SACKIER

Beware the unexpected
Airports can be dangerous places

DR. JONATHAN
SACKIER is a surgeon

and private pilot
living in Virginia.
He is a resource for
the AOPA Pilot
Protection Services plan.

26 | AOPA PILOT March 2013

IN DISCUSSING AVIATION HAZARDS, I always rant
to anyone willing to listen about how safe flying
truly is. However, fuel exhaustion, controlled flight
into terrain, catastrophic airframe or engine failures,
and other NTSB demons aside, there are flyingrelated health risks that, how do I say this, do not
include flying.
First is driving to your airport. Parents of teen
drivers are told to prevent their child from taking
the wheel when down in the dumps or on top of the
world—emotional highs impair judgment just as well
as lows. Statistics are hard to come by, but how many
pilots, thrilled to be en route to their particular paradise, have a car versus tree encounter? Oak or pine
usually trump Ford or Chrysler.
Upon arrival at your airfield or $100 hamburger
joint (given avgas prices, this should be called the $200
burger) your long-term health might be threatened by
dodgy or fatty food, so beware.
Although the reason is uncertain, pilots are more
prone to skin cancer. Airports, and other outdoor
activities, expose us to the elements, so adopt the old
Australian adage: slip on a long-sleeve shirt, slap on a
hat, slop on sunscreen, and slide on sunglasses to protect skin and eyes from sun damage.
While engaging in strenuous physical activities
such as installing a new hangar calendar or shooting
the breeze with your neighboring pilot, make sure you
keep well hydrated.
We all love reciprocating, turboprop, or turbine
engine sounds, but repetitive and loud noise damages
your ears—wear plugs so you can hear ATC well into
your dotage.
Anticipation of flight to come invoked by avgas or
jet fuel aromas can be heady. It also can be headachy as
noxious chemicals lurk in fuel. To avoid short- or longterm health problems, stay well clear of the nozzle.
Many airplanes have been named for bugs: Tiger
Moths, Mosquitoes, and so on. Other, less attractive
insects also inhabit airfields. In my hangar I have
encountered hornet nests and more black widow spiders than one can shake a stick at. Actually, I did shake
a stick at them—and they didn’t bat an eyelid (not that
they have eyelids). Inspect your domain carefully, dispatching these interlopers as appropriate.

Just prior to flight it is important to drain the
sump and if the FBO is too far, many pilots pop into
the long grass to water the dandelions. Be careful; this
is where ticks lurk. Keep a can of bug spray handy
and use it before taking the preflight walk. Some ticks
carry nasty Lyme disease, and lately Lone Star tick
disease has been in the news. When ticks bite they
leave behind saliva containing a chemical that invokes
an immune response. Unfortunately, this chemical
resembles meat protein so when next chowing down
on a juicy steak, one gets itchy, breaks out in hives, or
has a serious allergic reaction.
If your field is close to water also be wary of
rats, which of course might fancy holing up next to
your pride and joy or even do some damage. They
also carry some nasty diseases. So if you see rodents,
report this to the airport authorities and request they
take action.
Birds are, of course, a health hazard if they build
a nest inside engine cowlings—so be aware, and do a
thorough preflight. Similarly, certain spiders like to
weave their webs in small orifices, so make sure you
properly inspect the static port.
As you commence aircraft preflight inspection,
employ practices similar to those you use when flying—stay ahead of the airplane. For instance, as you
clamber onto a low wing, remind yourself that your
teenage son might have done a stellar job of waxing
her and, while he might LOL if you do a Keystone
Kops routine and fall on your undercarriage, you may
not be so happy. As you slide under the wing to check
bolts, linkages, sumps, and panels, consciously review
how you are getting under there; you are not as young
as you once were and back injuries are common—and
really unpleasant. Similarly, when it is time to pull
your baby into the sunlight, do not be proud. Ask for
help; a bruised ego is a darn site less painful than a
bruised coccyx.
Discussion of shutdown procedures usually
includes advice to test for a hot magneto—do this so
that when you turn the prop accidental firing does not
occur, make sure you stand sideways to the screw to
prevent a major health hazard.
So keep safe and healthy at the airport and get
aloft—you probably are safer up there!
AOPA

AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2013