Birds and Aeros
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Birds and Aeros
Summer idle thoughts.
I was having coffee in the garden this morning and noticed a pigeon doing their normal flap wing swoop and dive courtship display,and I realised he was actually doing a stall with a quick recovery.
We have swallows and swifts overhead,they are highly agile with stall turns ,90 degree banks and wingovers.
We have barn owls fly through the meadow low,slow and very quiet.
I'm sure they all fly for fun as well as food ,when food is abundant.
Are there any birds that can do the full aero sequence,rolls etc?
Lister
I was having coffee in the garden this morning and noticed a pigeon doing their normal flap wing swoop and dive courtship display,and I realised he was actually doing a stall with a quick recovery.
We have swallows and swifts overhead,they are highly agile with stall turns ,90 degree banks and wingovers.
We have barn owls fly through the meadow low,slow and very quiet.
I'm sure they all fly for fun as well as food ,when food is abundant.
Are there any birds that can do the full aero sequence,rolls etc?
Lister
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Rooks and Lapwings, for a start.
Also many birds preying on other birds, such as Peregrine Falcons. ****e hawks sometimes do aeros, too.
Also many birds preying on other birds, such as Peregrine Falcons. ****e hawks sometimes do aeros, too.
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Are there any birds that can do the full aero sequence,rolls etc?
I have watched swans doing some sort of a circuit before landing on a river/lake. Definitely a downwind bit and then turning into wind for a well positioned flare. They must have great instructors!
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Haven't observed any real aerobatics but saw birds imitating the aircraft. Once it was a hawk doing turns right under me (I was in the early hours of my flight training), and another time it was some thrush-sized bird hovering (!) in the area typically used for the same purpose by helicopter students. And I thought only hummingbirds could hover.
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I seem to remember Jonathan being a speed freak. It was another bird, Fletcher perhaps, who was the aerobat.
I also seem to remember Bach being rather disappointed with seagulls. From the book 'A Gift of Wings', he makes a damning accusation to the extent that if ever there was a bird designed for aeros, then it is the seagull. They never summon up the nerve to keep pulling over the top.
The albatross, however does a passable spilt S but there is doubt as to whether to include him as he usually doesn't really pull through but recovers below sea level, albeit with fish in mouth.
I also seem to remember Bach being rather disappointed with seagulls. From the book 'A Gift of Wings', he makes a damning accusation to the extent that if ever there was a bird designed for aeros, then it is the seagull. They never summon up the nerve to keep pulling over the top.
The albatross, however does a passable spilt S but there is doubt as to whether to include him as he usually doesn't really pull through but recovers below sea level, albeit with fish in mouth.
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Arc,
I have not done it yet,been busy with other things including the Cub, but hope to go sometime this week.
I will post after the lesson.
Lister
I have not done it yet,been busy with other things including the Cub, but hope to go sometime this week.
I will post after the lesson.
Lister
Crows are great aerobats. I once watched one pull vertical then fold a single wing and do a sort of combined hammerhead (stall turn) and snap roll. I've been trying to figure out how to do one in the Pitts ever since. (The lack of folding wings is a handicap).
I'm not a big fan of crows in general, but I love watching them fly.
n5296s
I'm not a big fan of crows in general, but I love watching them fly.
n5296s
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Shy Torque-just got it,must be old age!
But I'm not that old....
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There is a bird that 'tumbles' whilst airborne, but I can't remeber if it's a Dove or a Pigeon.
Grouse and ducks tend to tumble too, but that's for an entirely different reason
Also, I have asked a few birds if they would like a tumble, but amazingly none ever have said yes.
Sir George
Grouse and ducks tend to tumble too, but that's for an entirely different reason
Also, I have asked a few birds if they would like a tumble, but amazingly none ever have said yes.
Sir George
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Arc,great news that you are back.
I've just been flying the Cub this morning,it's a bit bumpy!
Tomorrow pm I have my first glider lesson at Tibbenham,I'm now a man of leisure so just give me a call when you want to meet up, I will pm you my number.
Lister
I've just been flying the Cub this morning,it's a bit bumpy!
Tomorrow pm I have my first glider lesson at Tibbenham,I'm now a man of leisure so just give me a call when you want to meet up, I will pm you my number.
Lister
"Grouse and ducks tend to tumble too, but that's for an entirely different reason"
Yup they're usually full of buckshot.
Seem to recall watching Rooks (or Ravens) looping & rolling while soaring the hangers in Goose Bay - maybe it was too much Screech though
Had a Buzzard spin while it was soaring alongside me once in a strong thermal - we were both watching each other but I was (deliberatly) slowing down to see how slow it would go. Said bird lowered full flap & wobbled a bit then departed rapidly leaving loads of feathers in it's wake
Yup they're usually full of buckshot.
Seem to recall watching Rooks (or Ravens) looping & rolling while soaring the hangers in Goose Bay - maybe it was too much Screech though
Had a Buzzard spin while it was soaring alongside me once in a strong thermal - we were both watching each other but I was (deliberatly) slowing down to see how slow it would go. Said bird lowered full flap & wobbled a bit then departed rapidly leaving loads of feathers in it's wake
I've been trying to figure out how to do one in the Pitts ever since. (The lack of folding wings is a handicap).
