boomer
Well Known Member
Here is a video of a landing close call I had this week in my RV-8.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxEu71vFWWc&feature=em-upload_owner#action=share
In retrospect, a couple of things come to mind:
1. After exiting the runway and advising the airfield folks about the situation, I wondered if my pre-landing scan of the runway had been at fault. After viewing the video, I was impressed with how hard it was to see the big birds on the ground. No problem seeing them when they flew!
2. Many years ago we deployed a squadron of F-4's to Ramstein Air Base in Germany for a month. At the safety briefing, we were told that it was not uncommon to have deer on the runway. If this happened, the best advice from experience was to not try and avoid them. Just keep on taking off or landing. I found this advice to be useful in the buzzard situation just viewed. Going around would have put me right into the birds. Turning during landing could have easily put me off the runway.
P.S. I didn't see any deer at Ramstein, but I did have a flock of starlings fly in front of me on takeoff at about 140 kts. I hit at least four (none in the engine, fortunately). No damage. The Phantom was a strong bird.
John
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxEu71vFWWc&feature=em-upload_owner#action=share
In retrospect, a couple of things come to mind:
1. After exiting the runway and advising the airfield folks about the situation, I wondered if my pre-landing scan of the runway had been at fault. After viewing the video, I was impressed with how hard it was to see the big birds on the ground. No problem seeing them when they flew!
2. Many years ago we deployed a squadron of F-4's to Ramstein Air Base in Germany for a month. At the safety briefing, we were told that it was not uncommon to have deer on the runway. If this happened, the best advice from experience was to not try and avoid them. Just keep on taking off or landing. I found this advice to be useful in the buzzard situation just viewed. Going around would have put me right into the birds. Turning during landing could have easily put me off the runway.
P.S. I didn't see any deer at Ramstein, but I did have a flock of starlings fly in front of me on takeoff at about 140 kts. I hit at least four (none in the engine, fortunately). No damage. The Phantom was a strong bird.
John