Bird whistle

[Rupester]

Originally Posted by Captain_John

Soooooo... how does the whistle scare away birds again?
CJ

I'm not exactty sure, but I heard it also keeps the elephants away.

[flyboy1963]

anyone put a horn under the cowl or somewhere? certainly would be handy on the ground, who knows what it might do in the air?
I've looked for a nice little motorcycle horn, but not sure I have a spare breaker for it...how much juice do you think it would need?

[PerfTech]

Originally Posted by Rupester

I'm not exactty sure, but I heard it also keeps the elephants away.

....Well there you go! Proof they work! I have searched and can find absolutely no reported RV-9 accidents (at least airborne) involving elephants. This is statistical proof they work.....

[NickAir]

I have, (slow flight,) passed hawks at near 2000 ft and all they do is dog-eye me and keep flying as I overtake them. Cool feeling. They knew I was passing them, but did not flinch at all. Not sure a whistle would make a difference at all.

My one bird strike was so fast that I only saw a dark streak for a portion one second. Loud bang and small dent on leading edge. Really no time to react. Lucky it was a small bird.

The whistles don't always work on road vehicles. Just saying.

[kevinh]

Many times while paragliding I've thermaled with hawks and once with an eagle. They just look at me - if you aren't a bird, I don't think they care that you are in the sky.

[cawmd82]

Originally Posted by kevinh

Many times while paragliding I've thermaled with hawks and once with an eagle. They just look at me - if you aren't a bird, I don't think they care that you are in the sky.

Doesn't get much better....We were riding in Big Bend a couple of years ago and rode a ridge line road for a few miles on XR650rs with a couple of redtails in formation about 30 yards off to the right.....Who needs church with moments like that??

[Jimboscr]

I have seen a lot of eagles thermaling with gliders. Unfortunately they always seem to thermal in the opposite direction to the glider, which makes it rather exciting as they fly straight at the glider wizzing over the cockpit by a couple of feet.

I know that they hit aircraft occasionally but I like to think that birds of prey are a bit smarter than the rest. Seagulls other small birds and pigeons seem utterly suicidal! Various parrots also seem to be reasonably bright, although a flock of galahs are just plain silly.I have heard that colliding with one is like hitting a small cannon ball.

Does anyone have any data on flashing spinners? I have heard that painting the spinner in two different colours (thus making them flash as it spins) will deter the birds.

Jim

[Greg Arehart]

Originally Posted by Jimboscr

I have seen a lot of eagles thermaling with gliders. Unfortunately they always seem to thermal in the opposite direction to the glider, which makes it rather exciting as they fly straight at the glider wizzing over the cockpit by a couple of feet.

I know that they hit aircraft occasionally but I like to think that birds of prey are a bit smarter than the rest. Seagulls other small birds and pigeons seem utterly suicidal! Various parrots also seem to be reasonably bright, although a flock of galahs are just plain silly.I have heard that colliding with one is like hitting a small cannon ball.

Does anyone have any data on flashing spinners? I have heard that painting the spinner in two different colours (thus making them flash as it spins) will deter the birds.

Jim

There's an old thread on this from a couple years ago, I think started by Bill Repucci. Bottom line is that nobody is certain whether this works or not.

Greg

[XOverZero]

Originally Posted by Greg Arehart

Bottom line is that nobody is certain whether this works or not.

Greg

Ref comments by NickAir, kevinh, and Jimboscr: I?m no ornitho-expert but have also done a lot of thermalling with various kinds of birds. I once was joined in a thermal 7000 feet above a lake by an Osprey carrying a fish that was at least equal to its own weight. Observed that said large fish was purposefully carried in the streamlined orientation.

I?ve noticed that predatory birds especially are the ones that will deliberately close on an aircraft (very slow ones?gliders), but in doing so will never allow the plane to be higher than they are. As long as the bird has the altitude advantage, the aircraft is perceived as not being a threat. Not sure if this signifies either a bit more intelligence than other types of birds, or is the instinctive reaction of a predator, or perhaps both.

In any case, regardless of aircraft type, figure that the birds know very well when they are not alone in their piece of sky, because they are either predator or they are prey. All birds are extremely aware of what?s going on around them. That?s how they live. Collisions occur simply because birds are not instinctively wired to deal with the airplane?s closing speed.

Personally, I doubt if a whistle would help any. When one bird is hunting another, the predator doesn?t scream its intentions, it attacks quietly. Where sound comes into play is when a bird is defending its territory, a totally different scenario. What significance would a bird assign to an airplane whistle, if it did hear it at all? Who knows how to think like a bird?

[David-aviator]

I've collided with 3 deer in the past 8 years....have not had a repeat since installing a deer whistle 2 years ago.

Check out this federally funded report on the effectiveness of deer whistles in Modoc County California.

http://deerwhistle.com/Test%20results.pdf

We need get some of that federal money and do likewise with a bird whistle.