Sussex Police Helicopter Bird Strike
 

Local ITV news is reporting that the Sussex Police helicopter made an 'emergency' landing in a field after a bird strike (?) today.

Apparently it was returning from a job when it hit a Kestrel causing several £ks of damage.

All on board OK.

PW

Any news on the kestrel??

The Kestrels family are considering sueing the police as the a/c was not showing blue lights / sirens and was not in its way to a life or death incident...

Just wait till the Health and Safety 'team' get wind of this one - should generate enough paperwork to keep them gainfully employed for at least a year...:yuk:

Is the Kestral now incarcerated or incapacitated?

Whoa there boys, Kestral's are protected, surley they could be mistaken wasn't it a Crow or some other sort of Corvid that is covered by the general license.

Watch the RSPB in this one they could ask for Helis to be fitted with Kestral alarms!:E
Vfr

I actually had a bird strike last week...:(

It came from completely out of nowhere:eek:

And I swear I was paying attention :uhoh:

Boy did it leave it's mark:{

....You can still see at least two of the fingerprints on my left cheek..:E

All I said was "Do you want to hold my cyclic?":cool:

BBC story here... complete with picture.


http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...strike_203.jpg

PW

Birds have no consideration for rotor pilots they jusy fly along willy nilly no comms and no nav training.
Glad to hear though that all on board are ok, next time though someone should shout duck, or kestrel.
Hope the guys are gonna be flying soon to keep up the good work.

Yes we hit a common buzzard at about 400'agl, returning to Shoreham.

No time to avoid , it just whacked throught he chin window and hit me on the shins. It was like being kicked by Roy Keane!

Lots of rushing air and feathers, pushed a PAN call out to Shoreham and landed in the field below us. (Probably where the buzzard's prey had been!).

We had our visors down of course but we're considering wearing shin pads as well now.

Sussex ambulance "spokeswoman" was a bit melodramatic though. Shame she didn't speak to me before posting that stuff.

:hmm:

I passed close to a Buzzard yesterday 750ft agl over the downs NE of Chichester, it did not seem to concerned but the R44 was a bit worried!

Glad you're all ok pieman, should keep your engineer busy for a little while, finally give him something to do:rolleyes: :ok:

Hey Pie man,

You obviously never played Rugby, Roy Keanes lot kick like big Girls!!:ok:

Vfr

Pies,

Where you're off to, you want to watch out for the Lappet-Faced and Turkey Vultures - they'll do more than tap you on the shins!

Thud
Yes I remember those big boids from last time. I'll treat them with great respect (as always!)

Vfr You're right, Keane is an overpaid woose. maybe a Johnny Wilkinson drop kick would have been a better description.

Anyway here's a nice pic of my mate the buzzard.
http://i.1asphost.com/whoateallthepies/bird2.jpg

Did it get badly. err.. fowled up :p with the pedals? The 902 yaw linkages do seem a tad exposed in the footwell.

Does this weight catagory not require laminated screens ? , I think the BK117 has to have them in Uk. It looks from pics like a plexiglass screen.

Mr Pies,

Shame you did not take a direct hit on the camera turret. Nice insurance claim!

Yaw pedal stuff only about as exposed as most others!

Shame the aircraft wasn't at 410 feet, or even quite a bit higher, then it would have missed.

Tin hat on. :E

I thought with 902's, most bird strikes were up the rear as they tried to overtake? :E :E