Birdstrike on a warrior

[roll_over]

What will a bird strike on the windscreen do and what is the best way for avoiding them? I have heard that you should go around the bird rather than under it as it's reaction to you will be to dive to the ground.

Thanks

[MIKECR]

Depends if its frozen or not. If its just flown out of imc and icing conditions, then could do some damage!:}

[SNS3Guppy]

Far too little information is given to answer a question regarding what a birdstrike will do. The size of the bird, where the strike occurs, and how fast both the bird and the aircraft are going make the answer to your question very subjective. It can bounce off, splatter and leave a bloody mess, punch a hole in the windscreen...do all kinds of things.

Going around the bird really won't be an option, most of the time. Generally you're best off continuing to fly the airplane and letting the bird take evasive action.

[Son of the Bottle]

Wouldn't it get diced by the prop first? Theres a question for someone who wants to do a bit of maths.

Edit: not necessarily, if the aircraft at 100 knots travels around 170ft per second the prop at 2300 rpm passes the windscreen about 80 times per second (two blades) leaving a window of 2 feet or so for any fauna to slip through.

Now where did I leave my anorak?

[Tiger_mate]

Avoidance options:

Avoid flying at first and last light as that is when birds move from nesting to feeding grounds and the likelyhood of a birdstrike increases.

Keep a landing light on.

Birds do tend to dive in many cases but remain unpredictable. The Australian military advocate maintaining track or if a late spot flying towards them, after all, they have more flying hours then you and will try and avoid you rather then dying.

Check out the MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, fisheries & food) website, for it used to give good info about bird migration although I cannot verify that it still does so.

Avoid flying along coastlines or directly above rivers/lakes/rubbish tips/ farmers ploughing. All of these include a greater risk of birdstrike.

[TheOddOne]

Wear spectacles. If you're young enough not to need them yet, wear sunglasses.

A fellow-club-member and PPL was in the left seat of our PA28 when it suffered a forced landing following engine failure. The windscreen on his side 'failed' (i.e. broke into pieces) and he got multiple cuts to his face. One of his glasses lenses was cracked by a piece of flying plastic, but his eyes remained undamaged. He reckoned that without eye protection, he'd certainly have had eye injuries, possibly been blinded.

Light aircraft windscreens, unlike large PT aircraft, aren't certificated against any birdstrike criteria.

On the subject of spectacles...

If you're aged 40+ and have perviously benefited from having eyesight good enough not to need glasses for correcting distance vision, the chances are that you're going to need them soon to be able to read the map, instruments etc. For heaven's sake don't buy a cheap pair of reading glasses, 'cos you'll not be able to wear them to see out. I flew with a student the other day who was trying to do this, constantly putting them on and taking them off around his headest. He had them on some 'idiot reins' around his neck. Get yourself some prescription bifocals or better yet varifocals that you can wear all the time whilst flying. Badger your optician into getting your prescription suitable for flying. Don't go for half-moons, either, they're nerly as bad. I sat next to someone the other day wearing some, he was like a nodding dog trying to see either over or through them.

Cheers,
TheOddOne

[SNS3Guppy]

Wouldn't it get diced by the prop first?


No, not at all. Birds can go through, or around the prop. When I was doing aerial application (crop dusting), I hit hundreds of birds throughout the season. Making it past the prop to strike the windscreen wasn't unusual at all. Often the birds would hit the large blade that ran upthe middle of the windscreen, and get cut in two, or they'd ride the blade to the top of the cockpit where they'd enter the fresh air intake. There, they'd usually explode and get blown all over inside the cockpit.

A light on will help make you more conspicuous to the bigger hazard; other aircraft. It likely won't do much for alerting birds. You'll hear similiar tales about using weather radar for the same purpose, but it's myth.

[effortless]

There, they'd usually explode and get blown all over inside the cockpit
:yuk::yuk::yuk:

[timbash]

Climb if at all able! Lots of birds will dive some will try to fly away from you.

[stocker]

I remember sitting on the ground in Dornoch doing power checks and a finch flew through the prop and landed on the cowling. I was surprised but have heard since that this is not uncommon.

A goose in flight at about 60mph on the other hand when you are cruisng at 100+ kts would have a different outcome I am sure.

[Rightbase]

If birds could read I'm sure the ANO would say birds give way to everything else. Just as a balloon does not avoid your warrior, you do not avoid birds.

You only have to watch a bird flying through trees and landing on a branch to realise they are far more agile in the air than your aircraft. If you have done all you can to be seen and heard, it's then their responsibility.

For all their skills, birds can be seriously irresponsible aviators - especially when flying in groups. You don't realy want to be sharing the air with them if you can avoid it.

Whilst they tend to come off second best in a collision, even if your aircraft is undamaged you do not get off scot free. If one hits you, you have to report it.

But since they are unregistered, you only need to report its type.

[PlasticPilot]

Birds are well better than planes for avoiding actions. They can dive or turn so quickly... Attempting anything on your side can jeopardize THEIR avoiding action.

Regarding the result, this ranges from bumps on the fuselage to dead (and possibly in pieces) bird in your cockpit, via an obstructed windshield.

A friend of mine once had a birdstrike with a Robin (wood and fabric), and after landing the legs of the bird were still hanging outside the leading edge...

[usedtofly]

I guess an albatross thru the windscreen might spoil yer day :}

[stocker]

I saw on Discovery a programme called MythBusters where they take all sorts of stories and add scientific experimentation to reveal wether its plausible.
The team are all special effects experts from accross the water and it is pretty entertaining, anyway, on one episode they take a Piper fuselage from an aviation boneyard and fire different sizes and weight of poultry from various angles and energy directly at the aircraft with surprising results.

With a bit of time on your hands you might manage to find the show online somewhere.

I have hit a pidgeon and a pheasant at high speeds on a motorcycle, the pidgeon badly bruised my hand and dissappeared in a cloud of feathers and guts but the pheasant nearly had me off but not before it smashed loads of plastic and nearly dislocated my shoulder.

[gasax]

FWIW a gull went straght through the screen of a local C150 a few years ago. They were at well over 1000 foot. Student pilot and instructor were both injured by bits of screen (and probably bird!).

They landed safely, from recollection neither wore glasses but I have a vague recollection that the student was not seen again (but then that is not unusual...)

Aircraft always seemed to have a somewhat nasty odour after that.

Many years ago I followed two eagles who had locked talons and were spinning around each other at about 3000' a long way down. Combined mass must have been 20 plus kg and we went down as fast as my Emeraude could manage in a 90 degree bank .......

[IFollowRailways]

Aircraft always seemed to have a somewhat nasty odour after that.


Dead bird? Or something much more unpleasant......................!

[stocker]

Gasax...

do you remember the reg of the stinky aircraft.

I started my training at Aberdeen Flying School about 9 years ago and I distinctly remember an unpleasant aroma in one aircraft. I`ll have to check my log book when I get home.
Could it be the same one.....?

[gasax]

I can't remember the reg, just the odour. Like most of the old fleet I suspect it is now lying somewhere as a beverage can!

[Miraz]

I've heard some talk of a Warrior taking a large fruit bat through the windshield at night - can't imagine that would be much fun at all...