turbo

turbo

Well Known Member
coming back from sebring today i was on 3 mile final when all of a sudden there was a bird in my windshield view!:eek: nowhere to go i gave a big push on the stick and the s(^$% hit the fan. everything in the plane came flying up and the bird passed right over the canopy. he never tucked his wings to dive and i am glad for that. all is well and luck was on my side. whew!!!!!! that bird would of been toast!!!!!
 
Question:
What is the proper response if you are flying close formation and such a thing happens, or traffic suddenly appears?
 
turbo said:
coming back from sebring today i was on 3 mile final when all of a sudden there was a bird in my windshield view!:eek: nowhere to go i gave a big push on the stick and the s(^$% hit the fan. everything in the plane came flying up and the bird passed right over the canopy. he never tucked his wings to dive and i am glad for that. all is well and luck was on my side. whew!!!!!! that bird would of been toast!!!!!
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What.....no picture of the event? video?:D
I had the same thing with the big black bird(vulture) when i was flying my Cherokee. Seen him just below me, then he went up !!!!! came up at the wing root, I have no clue how we didn't hit each other. It was so close, we both know what each other was saying.....:)
 
turbo said:
coming back from sebring today i was on 3 mile final when all of a sudden there was a bird in my windshield view!:eek: nowhere to go i gave a big push on the stick and the s(^$% hit the fan. everything in the plane came flying up and the bird passed right over the canopy. he never tucked his wings to dive and i am glad for that. all is well and luck was on my side. whew!!!!!! that bird would of been toast!!!!!
Click to expand...

Good move, Turbo! These guys are everywhere below about 2.000' in Florida, you really have to keep a sharp eye out for them. On occasion they can be higher than that in thermals especially in the summer months.
 
Glad it turned to be of no consequence for you.

Just lately, I have had two occasion that I have come closer to them then my comfort lever, nothing [thankfully] like yours though. But as a result I am paying a much closer attention and on the watch out for them, including all the deer that hang around the runway in the evening.
 
Bavafa said:
But as a result I am paying a much closer attention and on the watch out for them, including all the deer that hang around the runway in the evening.
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The deer "etiquette" book, that every deer should read.............states that evenings (twilight hours) are the time to get up and move. But a big stupid suicidal deer got me and my motorcycle just before three in the afternoon on a hot summer day. So watch for those dumb, stupid, deer..........any time!

Needless to say, I have no effection for Bambi.....anymore...

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
Serious business

Birds are serious business. This time of the year (and Fall) they are somewhat lethargic and won't really avoid you. Because of the closure rate, you are on them quickly.

Every year our company has several bird strikes in the fleet of helicopters. Last year a bird went through the windscreen of a S76 in the Gulf of Mexico, knocked the throttles to cut off and a 8 people were killed.

A couple of weeks ago, I was flying an Astar with patient on board. We were at 800 ft agl and 120kts. A large buzzard was directly in front of us. It made no effort to move and I had no time to avoid. I put my head down (helmet on) thinking it was going to come through. Somehow we missed.

If for some reason you think you're going to have a bird strike. DUCK down. If it comes through the wind screen it is likely to be fatal.

Be careful out there!!!
 
They'll fly up if...

...they're on the ground or no more than 20-30', after which they usually dive.

In our ag business this is routine...also around cattle pens where there are a lot of big birds.

At the height you fly...2000' or more, you can just about bet that they'll dive if you come near.

Best,
 
Sea gull

I also had that big blur just before impact.

I was on the climb out, around 300 feet at 70 mph when I saw the sea gull coming into my windscreen. I've always been taught that they would just dive and fly out of the way. I cranked it up to the right and doesn't the dumb thing go up with me.

Needless to say, he lost. He went through my prop and into the lower cowl and filter. After landing, I actually recovered all of the body parts strewn across the runway! I was very very lucky. No glasses or helmet.

Here are the pics...hope this works. The sea gull recovery is a little graphic. I only had to fill out 3 reports for the birdstrike!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.96567070699.122644.675990699&l=c4526a8f7d
 
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Fly your position ...

fl-mike said:
Question:
What is the proper response if you are flying close formation and such a thing happens, or traffic suddenly appears?
Click to expand...

You have to be VERY careful not "go rogue" on your own when in formation.
(Otherwise, it may be you last ... at least with that set of buds ...)

A sudden move to avoid a relatively "soft" bird may in fact put you right smack into a MUCH LARGER and MUCH HARDER "bird" being ridden by one of your buds.

You must assume that your Flight Lead is looking out for your well being. If you happen to see some at an angle that Lead may not have seen, at times it is OK to say "Bravo Lead, BIRDS at 2 o'clock" and then let Lead manage it.

To this day, "Possum" will speak of a flight where I was lead with several planes in the flight. He says that a "Texas Pterodactyl" came right at my windshield and (as Lead) I did not flinch. Well I had to be smooth on the controls and not fly into my wingmen while trying to gently "avoid" the bird.

Fly your position.

"CB"/Team RV
 
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