Emergency Goggles & Bird Strikes

[wera710]

Well, after three near bird strikes last few weeks (Vultures the size of C-180s and an Eagle that was looking as disconcerted as I was!), I finally broke down and dug out my 90’s era issue military goggles. Talking about the current iteration of the old WW2 Polaroid B8/M-1944 goggles, now days known and still issued as “Goggles, Sun, Wind and Dust.” If you are not former military, you can find them brand spanking new online for about $12.00. They come with one tinted and one clear lens.

The nice thing about them is that they come in a cardboard storage box that can be velcro’d to the floor of the RV-8 underneath the seat pan, aft and to the left or right of the stick. Totally out of the way until needed in an emergency. I am sure the storage box would fit well in other RVs as well.

Granted, they won’t help you initially if you are not wearing them and take a hit, but if something does come through the canopy and you survive, you at least have a tight fitting goggle immediately on hand that can be put on for your attempt at bringing your wounded bird home. They seal very well will be far more effective than eye glasses.

I’ve always thought it prudent to keep actual goggles in any aircraft flown near migratory or permanent flocks of large birds, but it took a vulture missing me by a few feet to finally get me off my duff to do something about it. If you are of like mind, just put some adhesive backed hook and loop fasteners on the goggle box and an out of the way, but instantly accessible place in your cockpit. Cut a small finger hole in the box top to make it easy to pry open in a hurry. Then forget it until you need it. Cheap insurance!

Here is a link to images: https://www.google.com/search?q=gogg...w=1277&bih=718

[tracy]

If that vulture had come through......you would have needed a full face helment with 1/2 steel neck brace running up the back of your neck. Only then would your head still be attached to your body at the crash site.

[bret]

I hear ya, got up close to some featherd friends last weekend. scary!

[JonJay]

Not a bad idea Scott. However, you won't know until you try, heaven for bid, if you can manage to get them on your head.

[Low Pass]

Originally Posted by tracy

If that vulture had come through......you would have needed a full face helment with 1/2 steel neck brace running up the back of your neck. Only then would your head still be attached to your body at the crash site.

Exactly! I appreciate the discussion, but think how a 90 mph 6 oz fastball taken to the face would feel. Then think of the 5 lb bird to the face at 90 mph. It's not the face, it's the skull and neck.

[sandpiper]

Granted, if you get hit in the face it may well be all over and done. But, if all you have is a windy cockpit and some splatter on your face, goggles might be a big help.

I hope to never find out.

[Bill_H]

The plexi would knock down a lot of that mentioned 90mph velocity. Not saying it would be fun...

[SR2500]

I had a seagull come through the laminated glass in a Coast Guard helicopter over the beach on the Oregon Coast. We were at 100 or so knots, it completely shattered the glass, the body was lodged in the cut out, and the co-pilot was spitting out shards of glass from his mouth. It happened so fast we didn't even see it coming up from beneath. I doubt the RV windscreen would hold up, unless you got some kind of a glancing bounce.

Jerry Folkerts

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by Bill_H

The plexi would knock down a lot of that mentioned 90mph velocity. Not saying it would be fun...

Now double the speed (or more), because most of us fly well north of 150 MPH.

Low Pass is right on. A direct hit to the head and you are dead. End of story.

However, wearing a helmet is the better option because it is more likely to stay on your head during a glancing blow.

[pilotpip]

Hopefully the prop takes care of some of that mass. There are too many GA aircraft that would withstand a bird of that size in cruise.

I hit a Canadian goose on final during my private training and ended up lodged in the leading edge. A couple years ago I had a windscreen busted pretty good in an E-170 by what I can only guess was a pterodactyl. It was after midnight over Lake Pontchatrain going into MSY and it woke me up to say the least.