Brood XIII

ScottM

Taxi to Parking
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iBazinga!
The Cicadas are about to come out here in the Midwest and it is supposed to be the largest amount in 17 years to be out all at once. The last time these guys were out I was still in New Mexico where insects where not something you had to fear when flying. But these guys are pretty big suckers.

Anyone recall some of their experiences dealing with the buggers the last time they were out?

I just cannot imagine the carnage that will visible on my wings and windscreen if I were to hit a flock of the little devils.
 
I missed the last time cuz I was in South Florida. But two cycles ago they were really thick in Cincinnati. My kid sister, ~ 7 at the time, would catch them and feed them to the dog. Yuck.
 
I am not particularly worried about them when they are flying around, as they are not particularly good at it anyway.

But it does portend a very LOUD summer. I remember, as a kid, being amazed at how quiet things were in Long Island in the summer, and realizing that the "quiet" I grew up with in Dallas had the rasping sound of the cicadas superimposed over it.

Disgusting lookin' critters, too!
 
Being that I have over 30 trees, I figure I'll be up to my knees with them.

As I remember you don't see them airborne. You see them THICK on lawns and sidewalks. C-A-A-R-R-U-U-U-U-N-N-C-H!!!

Do vermin like eating them? I have enough to deal with.

Watched a cute little chipmunk cavorting on my deck and trees this morning...and a cardinal, a family of robins, squirrels,...It's quite a sight for a city kid.
 
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Being that I have over 30 trees, I figure I'll be up to my knees with them.

As I remember you don't see them airborne. You see them THICK on lawns and sidewalks. C-A-A-R-R-U-U-U-U-N-N-C-H!!!

Do vermin like eating them? I have enough to deal with.

Watched a cute little chipmunk cavorting n my deck this morning...and I cardinal, a family of robins, squirrels,...It's quite a sight for a city kid.

Sounds like you enjoy being a homeowner, Mike. :)
 
What flying the cicadas do occurs at night for the most part. They don't seem to stray very high or far, either. As long as you're not buzzing the forest at night :)hairraise: ) I wouldn't expect them to be a problem.

Regards,
Joe
 
I am more worried about them while taxiing and takeoff. Lot of scrunches and a mess, especially if they get wedged into the cooling baffle on the cylinders. Also while parked will they try climbing up an in stuff?
 
Cats like to eat 'em; and they do not always fully digest on the way through. Eeeww!
 
Last time they were here, about 5 years ago, catfishing was great. I'd capture a few dozen, head down to the river and bait the hook. Apparently the catfish enjoy the crunchy taste.
Scott, as others have said, they don't roam far from home so they shouldn't be a problem around an airport which has few trees (sans Gaston's).
 
They don't "flock." Though there can be a number of them who happen to be flying simultaneously. And they aren't around long—the adults, which is what you see, don't even eat, just attract a mate, mate, lay eggs, die. Skunks, racoons, birds, etc., eat them. They'd be pretty loud, smacking a windscreen.
 
The Cicadas are about to come out here in the Midwest and it is supposed to be the largest amount in 17 years to be out all at once. The last time these guys were out I was still in New Mexico where insects where not something you had to fear when flying. But these guys are pretty big suckers.

Anyone recall some of their experiences dealing with the buggers the last time they were out?

I just cannot imagine the carnage that will visible on my wings and windscreen if I were to hit a flock of the little devils.
A Bose X should take care of 'em. Worn in your back yard, that is.
 
I am more worried about them while taxiing and takeoff. Lot of scrunches and a mess, especially if they get wedged into the cooling baffle on the cylinders. Also while parked will they try climbing up an in stuff?

I haven't had any confrontations with cicadias, but have been into some grasshopper infested grass strips. One hint: Don't taxi with a window open. I picked up a few unwanted passengers.:hairraise: They do tend to sit still once you get airborne. Second hint: Don't taxi too close behind another plane. They stir up the bugs and you hit them. I had grasshopper parts tucked into every possible crevise and a whole grasshopper draped over the pitot tube when I got home :eek: . My plane had a distinctive green tint that day.

Barb
 
We had them big time a couple of years ago. Don't remember any problems with them at the airport......not many trees around there. But the noise.....and the dog wanting to eat 'em....he only liked the live ones, not the dead ones....YUCK! :vomit:
 
Scott,

I'd be more worried about cycling - there is nothing worse than dropping in on your line, settling into the lean and running over these fat, slimy little things. Great way to get to pucker factor 10.

Gross things, for sure.

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
Scott,

I'd be more worried about cycling - there is nothing worse than dropping in on your line, settling into the lean and running over these fat, slimy little things. Great way to get to pucker factor 10.

Gross things, for sure.

Cheers,

-Andrew

I had not even thought of that. YUCK!

BTW just did an upgrade to the bike. I needed some new cables so I put on the Aztec ones. Very nice! The cables themselves or sealed, that will help keep 'em clean in the rain and muck.

I am also trying tube liners this year. Last year I had 5 flats!
 
WE HAVE LIFTOFF!
I'm suddenly seeing flashes of black things flying around. I didn't remember them flying like that, but Owell.

I have the "singing" to look forward to.

I imagine it's gonna get A LOT heavier. We gonna regret this year.

They're saying this brood doesn't go much past the Mississippi. Does that mean there won't be any at Gastons?
 
I went to a sales meeting/training 2-3 years back when there were a bunch around Wash DC. It was towards the end of the brood, but I still got a bunch on my windscreen while driving there & back. They didn't wash off too easily either. Get some altitude, I'd think you'd be Ok
 
Nothing up north yet. But I did kill a lot of flies and gnats on today's 4.1 hour journey.

You're not much far north of me, just west.

I haven't seen the bug eyes yet. Just the things flying that I hadn't seen before.

Like I said, we'll have plenty of them to see in a few more days.
 
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18871431/


And Another thing. If this is brood 13. Does that mean these dudes started the 17 year sleep cycle only 221 years ago? There were none of these guys until about the time that America declared independence? BTW, that was about 100 before Chicago existed so there couldn't have been any Europeans around to document it.

Whassup wit dat? Are these mutants created by Ben Franklin?
 
The cicadas are definetly out. Not around my house but through a grove of trees on my way to the airport. So far no trouble for me. But I am sitting at O'Hare right now in the Red Carpet lounge at gate C18 and I am watching a 747-400 get ready for a trip to Beijing and there are many cicadas swarming about, with many flying into the nose wheel well and I am sure into the cargo hatch which is wide open. I am surprised to see so many on the ramp at O'Hare considering that there are not many trees about at all. But I hope the Chinese enjoy the cicadas. My guess is that they will turn them into some sort of main course. ;) BLEECH!
 
It weird, but I still haven't seen one at the house. I think what I saw flying were butterflies and moths. This, when the west and nearer north burbs are full of them.

I guess I'm north of some arctic circle line past which they don't like the temps. :dunno:
 
It weird, but I still haven't seen one at the house. I think what I saw flying were butterflies and moths. This, when the west and nearer north burbs are full of them.

I guess I'm north of some arctic circle line past which they don't like the temps. :dunno:

I have seen them around but not at my house either. I think I am north of you too. What burb are you in?
 
... If this is brood 13. Does that mean these dudes started the 17 year sleep cycle only 221 years ago?
IIRC, Rev. Jim memory item here, but the brood refers to the nymphal lifecycle duration: "13" refers to the 13-year version, "17" refers to the 17-year version, etc. IOW, each brood has a different and unique duration of the nymphal state, ranging fron 1 year to 17 years. Stangely enough, the numbers are all prime numbers (1,2,3,5,7,11,13,17). This is a really "IIRC", but I believe the last complete co-emergence was in the early 1980's. Multiply the numbers together to find how often this happens. I was living in North Carolina at the time and the North Carolina state wildlife magazine did an article on Cicadas.
 
But I am sitting at O'Hare right now in the Red Carpet lounge at gate C18

So, where were you off to this time? I ask from my hotel room in Bangkok. Hanoi on Saturday and head home LATE Tuesday night.

Are we having fun yet? :D
 
we had our big brood two summers ago I think it was. amazing, absolutely amazing. I'd never seen THAT many of the critters before.
 
Re: So that's what was happening!

We flew into Midway yesterday. After landing, I glanced at the tires, which is my habit these days, and saw something hanging off of one of them. Hmmm... it's just a grasshopper looking thing, only different. We were parked there for about an hour waiting to pick up our passengers. Every time I walked out to the airplane there seemed to be more of them, mostly clustered around the tires. Then we started up the APU which is nasty loud (it's actually a little turbine engine for those who don't know what it sounds like). This seemed to attract more of them. I don't know whether they were attracted by the heat, the noise, the vibration, or what, but our airplane had a cloud of these things flying around it while the others on the ramp didn't. The real trick came when we had to load the bags and the passengers while trying to keep them out of the cabin. They were coming in as fast as we were throwing them out the door. Finally we got the door closed and all of them were outside or dead... I thought. I started up while trying not to think of what might be getting sucked into the engines.

About two hours into the flight I heard a scream from the back. I turned around to see one of the passengers flailing her blanket around and another one smacking something on the carpet with her shoe. Ah ha! We had a stowaway. Good thing it didn't make it to California where we would have been accused of starting the west coast cicada outbreak...
 
So, where were you off to this time? I ask from my hotel room in Bangkok. Hanoi on Saturday and head home LATE Tuesday night.

Are we having fun yet? :D

MADRID.

It was bound to happen but I had a flight from hell. I have never had this bad a time with my over 3,000,000 air miles.

The 4:11 UAL flight loaded up on time but it was hot inside. We soon got word that the APU would not work. The AC tried to get working but she couldn't and called the maintenance guys. Things break and I cannot sa ythat UAL breaks things at any rate higher or lower than anyone else, but I rate the ground crew response as how poor and airline can be. UAL exceeded expectations in being a very poor airline.

We were first told there would be a 5:45 decision. At 5:45 the time was revised to 6:15. At 6:15 they told us they had found the problem and were fixing it. At 7:30 they told us that they were still looking for the part and would let us know what was going on. At 8pm they said that crew had gone illegal and they were looking for a new crew. At 8:30 they said we were moving gates to a new airplane and at 8:45 they said it would take too long to print meal vouchers for people. They boarded us after 9pm and we took off at about 10:30.

We arrived in London and there was no crew to meet us at the gate to let us know what was going to happen with all the missed connections. The flight crew actually told us in the air that it was company policy to not comment on what was going to happen. That sounded like complete BS to me.

After trying to get into terminal 1 at LHR (a 2.5 hour oddesey) I finally got to a UAL ticket counter who told me that I was re booked on the 2:05 flight but he could not issue the boarding pass and I should go to the Iberia counter. Iberia told me that the flight was a code share and that I had to go to the BA counter. BA told me to got to UAL. UAL then told me that because it was a split ticket all they could do was rebook and that I had to deal with BA. UAL did go on to tell that since I am a 1k that they is why they re booked me otherwise they owed me nothing.

BA said that since I missed my earlier flight tough luck, the fare was non-refundable and I would have to buy a new ticket. So I did. BTW BA also told me no way would my luggage make it.

Once in Madrid I was told my luggage would arrive later tonight but BA/Iberia does not deliver until tomorrow. So sometime then I will get it. SIGH!

Flipping UK one carry on rules!!!

Had UAL just made their decision earlier in the day I could have made other arrangements. It is not like there are not a plethora of flights to Europe out of ORD each evening.

It was bound to happen as airlines are nothing if NOT customer friendly.

I am here, 8 hour late, dirty and smelly but in my meeting.
 
MADRID.


BA said that since I missed my earlier flight tough luck, the fare was non-refundable and I would have to buy a new ticket. So I did. BTW BA also told me no way would my luggage make it.

Once in Madrid I was told my luggage would arrive later tonight but BA/Iberia does not deliver until tomorrow. So sometime then I will get it. SIGH!

Flipping UK one carry on rules!!!

Had UAL just made their decision earlier in the day I could have made other arrangements. It is not like there are not a plethora of flights to Europe out of ORD each evening.

It was bound to happen as airlines are nothing if NOT customer friendly.

I am here, 8 hour late, dirty and smelly but in my meeting.

I haven't flown BA in years. They were fine the last time, but I haven't heard a good word about them since.

To balance out your experience, my UA flights (SEA-NRT and NRT-BKK) went well. We were late getting out of NRT due to Chinese ATC playing flow control, but had favorable winds (my guess) and got into BKK early. The pilot announced on the intercom that it was due to his excellent flying skills. The laughter in the cockpit was clearly audible in the background.

LHR is to be avoided if at all possible. It is a zoo, and the UK one carryon rule stinks. If going somewhere that would warrant taking my DSLR I'd have to choose between it or my laptop. Neither goes in checked baggage. No way, no how.

Hope your meetings go well.
 
It was bound to happen as airlines are nothing if NOT customer friendly.

I am here, 8 hour late, dirty and smelly but in my meeting.

Hence the reason(s) I will no longer fly through London if there is ANY alternative at all, and why I do not fly UA.
 
Hence the reason(s) I will no longer fly through London if there is ANY alternative at all, and why I do not fly UA.
I have that rule myself but felt pressure by the company to save some $$$$ by flying that way. I was trying to do the right thing and got hosed in the result.
 
I have that rule myself but felt pressure by the company to save some $$$$ by flying that way. I was trying to do the right thing and got hosed in the result.

Did you see where AA absolutely ripped BAA in a competition filing about LHR? Good for AA!!!
 
No threat to aircraft. They don't fly very far, very well, or very high. Tree to tree is about all they can manage.

However, they MIGHT effect your flying as they are loud enough to possibly keep you up all night. If you are in the middle of a brood ... which could be well over 1 million insects, it will be as loud as 30 or 40 lawn mowers running in a circle 100 feet away.

I've been through two 17 year cycles here in Maryland ... quite an event!


The Cicadas are about to come out here in the Midwest and it is supposed to be the largest amount in 17 years to be out all at once. The last time these guys were out I was still in New Mexico where insects where not something you had to fear when flying. But these guys are pretty big suckers.

Anyone recall some of their experiences dealing with the buggers the last time they were out?

I just cannot imagine the carnage that will visible on my wings and windscreen if I were to hit a flock of the little devils.
 
Did you see where AA absolutely ripped BAA in a competition filing about LHR? Good for AA!!!

(Reference: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/investing-and-markets/article.html?in_article_id=421379&in_page_id=3

In a submission to the Competition Commission, which is considering whether to break up BAA's monopoly in the South-East, American Airlines said: 'BAA's mismanagement of its London airports has cost American millions of dollars in higher landing fees, reduced operational performance and lost revenue as passengers choose to connect through other European hubs.

'We believe that these problems stem in large part from the conclusion reached by the Office of Fair Trading in its study of UK airports - lack of competition has led to lower quality services and higher prices.

'Any frequent traveller comparing Heathrow and Gatwick to other major European hub airports would likely echo the sentiment that BAA-owned London airports are poorly maintained, equipment is often inoperable, and the customer experience is simply unacceptable.'

American said that while BAA's airport fees have 'skyrocketed', the quality of its service has plummeted.
 
I haven't flown BA in years. They were fine the last time, but I haven't heard a good word about them since.

I loved BA the one time I flew 'em, a bit under 4 years ago.

LHR is to be avoided if at all possible.

Amen to that. It is absolutely and by far the worst airport I've ever been to. :vomit:
 
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