â Only ticks that are attached and have finished feeding or are near the end of their meal can transmit Lyme disease. After arriving on the skin, the tick that spreads Lyme disease usually takes 24 hours before feeding begins. â Even if a tick is attached, it must have taken a blood meal to transmit Lyme disease.
All this in a period when the Air Force is the smallest and oldest since its inception in 1947. Of its roughly 5,000 aircraft, the average age is twenty-five years old. Todayâs Air Force is already struggling, and tomorrowâs is entirely at risk.
According to the AOPA the average age of single-engine general aviation aircraft in the U.S. is over 30 years old and is expected to continue increasing. One of the reasons aircraft age more gracefully than autos is the required maintenance. Aircraft are required to undergo an annual inspection by a licensed mechanic.