I've had 7 (8?)
- Took one on the nose in a ASK-23 glider
- Propeller tip of a Piper Cub during PPL training
- Piper Aztec at night while descending out of 4000', bounced off the right side and ended up in the engine.
- Hit 3 while taking off in a DA 42, one bounced off the left prop, one went into the radiator and one bounced the canopy.
- Hit a bird in a DA-40 the next day
- Hit a turkey buzzard in a DA42, he was thermalling on downwind and I was looking at the traffic on final when I caught movement in the corner of my eye.
Turned my head and I swear we had eye contact. Intrepid aviator as he was...tucked his wings in and cartwheeled over the canopy.
Thought we got away with it till I felt the impact on the tail.
After landing a boroscope inspection revealed a rib broken off in the horizontal stabilizer.
This damage wasn't visible from the outside. Wipe the blood and it would have passed every preflight inspection. You had to get a step ladder and a magnifying glass to see the micro cracking in the outer skin layer. Testament to the strength of 'plastic' airplanes.
$20,000 in damages.
Same year two pilots perished as their tail came off in a Seminole at night after hitting geese.
For reference how big these b'stards are:
