Originally Posted by
betterfromabove
Instructor of mine was doing night CX at Toussus-le-Noble (near Paris) in a C172 when all of a sudden the windscreen exploded and he found a seagull dead in his lap. Joked about it afterwards, but was glad he had someone else in the plane. Believe the pilot under instruction continued to land.
A friend of mine was on an exercise with an instructor in a PA28 W of White Waltham when part of the prop seemed to disintegrate. Landed safely, with some power on I believe. They and the engineers came to the conclusion it was a red kite that hit it. Plenty orbit in the 25 undershoot as well over the allotments and used to lead to some weaving going by a/c on finals when I was flying there a few years back.
They are still there some idiot is feeding them in a back garden that backs on to the field.