View Full Version : Birdstrikes - What's your experience ?
Thrust Bump
28th Feb 2001, 14:53
More than 350 people have been killed worldwide as a result of aircraft birdstrikes.
More than 3500 birdstrikes were reported by the USAF alone, in 1998.
An estimated 80% of birdstrikes in the US go unreported.
Starlings are "feathered bullets" having a body density 27% higher than herring gulls.
Have you had a serious birdstrike? What was the consequences and the effects on you, the crew?
almirante6
28th Feb 2001, 15:12
About the eighth hour of my PPL course. Flew into a flock of seagulls at around 100 feet just after take-off. One ripped off the flashing beacon, another put an interesting-shaped dent in to the leading edge of a wing. Swift return to Mother Earth, fresh underwear all round....
There is a fairly long thread on tech log about this - suggest you have a look.
Turn & Burn
28th Feb 2001, 20:58
Birsrikes are a serious problem the worst of them are large suckers like eagles and Pelicans. ive only had a few close calls.
but i would say the worst are flying foxes(large flying mammal like a fruit Bat) any way they seem to flock at sun set and sun rise and are heard to see if not impossible at night. A collision with a senica on final caused the wind screen to smash and fragments of bat went every where, the pilot still landed safely. well done, i thought.
any thoughts on flying foxes and other airbourne impact hazards.
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Have a good one
[This message has been edited by Turn & Burn (edited 28 February 2001).]
DEFPOTEC
23rd Apr 2001, 01:54
Those flying foxes are big. Any idea how high they fly?
Take a look at the damage cormorants can do to a B-767. They were flying at 12,000 feel.
http://www.aapilots.com/pdf/misc/birdstrike/
titan
23rd Apr 2001, 04:08
My experience, as a general rule, is that the aircraft ends up in the hangar and the bird ends up in the bin :}
Does this belong in Rumours and News?
Just a thought.