Am I the only one who logs bird nesting spots to reduce FOD risks?

I'm based at a small airport in the Midwest, and we have a lot of swallows that build nests in the hangars. I started keeping a log of where and when they nest, so I can clean those spots before they cause debris. Last month, this helped me prevent a nest from blocking a drain on a King Air, which could have led to water damage. Birds tend to return to the same spots, so proactive cleaning saves time on inspections. It also reduces the chance of birds getting into engines during start-up. Does anyone else do something similar, or have other FOD prevention tips?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph_ellis851mo ago

Wait, you found a nest that could have blocked a DRAIN on a King Air? That's wild. I never even thought about water damage from a clogged drain pipe, just the usual debris near intakes. A backed-up drain could wreck avionics or lead to corrosion real fast. That's next-level FOD thinking right there.

tessabell1mo ago

Yikes... that drain clog is no joke.

-2

christopherbrown1mo ago

Actually, FOD is just for physical debris you can see. Water damage from a blocked drain is its own separate issue, though it's still a great catch. Both things are super important to watch for around aircraft.