Bird Strikes - What's it like?
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Circuit training in a single after a shower of rain - evreything still pretty wet. On rotation a flock of seasgulls scatters and fwoomp at least one entered the arc of the prop. The view out the windscreen was like the start of a 007 film...red smearing everywhere as the blood mixed with the water. Next landing, there was the head of the bird on the runway...without a body...
4 Galahs (grey and pink aussie parrots) at once on landing....in the desert with no water to wash the aircraft. The white 210s nose was brown/green (rotten blood) by the time it saw town again. Fortunately I had a quick turnaround, & change planes, so did not have to wash it!
A large Hare at Essendon Airport with the nosewheel of the Seminole. Nil damage to nosewheel, but one braised bunny.
Some cable (foxtel?)kids show has on tape several Agiles (rather gymnastic small Kangaroos) making a panic sideways dive under my aircraft as it landed to avoid knocking themselves out/being minced.
One rearing snake lost its head into my prop as I landed.
Gawd, i sound like a mass animal murderer, just as well i dont have to count what i have hit in my car!
PS - Hey reddo, how'd you know it was a bat (at night?).
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Those who restrain desire do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.
William Blake
4 Galahs (grey and pink aussie parrots) at once on landing....in the desert with no water to wash the aircraft. The white 210s nose was brown/green (rotten blood) by the time it saw town again. Fortunately I had a quick turnaround, & change planes, so did not have to wash it!
A large Hare at Essendon Airport with the nosewheel of the Seminole. Nil damage to nosewheel, but one braised bunny.
Some cable (foxtel?)kids show has on tape several Agiles (rather gymnastic small Kangaroos) making a panic sideways dive under my aircraft as it landed to avoid knocking themselves out/being minced.
One rearing snake lost its head into my prop as I landed.
Gawd, i sound like a mass animal murderer, just as well i dont have to count what i have hit in my car!
PS - Hey reddo, how'd you know it was a bat (at night?).
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Those who restrain desire do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.
William Blake
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Thought I'd join the conversation...
I've only had one bird strike myself... It (the bird - RIP) hit just after T/O on my wiper post... Blood and feather everywhere, so nice to look at for 50 minutes in cruise!
I've had the pleasure of finding bird strikes on pre-flights. I remember thinking, "Why would someone through Ketchup on the side of the plane?" As you can guess it wasn't Ketchup... Twitty - RIP is no more.
As for loud noises... I had a friend hit two deer just before Vr in a Saab... Loudest noise he ever heard, considering they lost two blades.
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FLY SAFE!!!
I've only had one bird strike myself... It (the bird - RIP) hit just after T/O on my wiper post... Blood and feather everywhere, so nice to look at for 50 minutes in cruise!
I've had the pleasure of finding bird strikes on pre-flights. I remember thinking, "Why would someone through Ketchup on the side of the plane?" As you can guess it wasn't Ketchup... Twitty - RIP is no more.
As for loud noises... I had a friend hit two deer just before Vr in a Saab... Loudest noise he ever heard, considering they lost two blades.
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FLY SAFE!!!
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Compressor Stall, After we dragged it's carcass from out of the fibreglass nose cowl we could tell it was a bat. Another big tip was the lack of feathers.
Also clobbered some galahs going into Kowanyama (QLD). By the time we had done the turn around, their carcasses had been eaten by the Kites that were orbiting final.
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reddo...feral animal!
Also clobbered some galahs going into Kowanyama (QLD). By the time we had done the turn around, their carcasses had been eaten by the Kites that were orbiting final.
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reddo...feral animal!
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Hit 3 dozen geese landing at LGA on night, luckly we saw them just prior to the flare. Destroyed the number 2 engine, large dents in the leading edges, holes in the flaps and damage to the airconditioning system. Not a pretty sight. Also hit a flock of sparrow sized birds over in the Gulf in a C5...we has instant feathers in the cockpit..no damage.
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Those jolly wedge tail eagles think they own the sky, they seem to enjoy hovering on final parading their air superiority with pretention. If you look closely at their claws you can actually see two of them waving up and down at you in a victory sign.
More seriously, I have given headaches to pigeons and galahs. I narrowly avoided three pelicans in a Grob(hardly bigger than a pelican) who never realised the close encounter. I have also seen kamikase green budgies who are very active (during spring I think) in central Australia, they are attracted by propellers. I have had them repetively hitting the perspex of the stationary Baron, others trying to sit on the propeller...at idle RPM.
Now I have a question. If you are established on final at 400ft and you see birds ahead of your flight path, should you try to avoid them by evasive action at the expense of destabilising the appproach or should you continue on hoping that the birds will move? If anyone knows of any articles on that sort of situation I would appreciate a reference. Thanks
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Don't believe anything you hear and only believe half of what you see.
More seriously, I have given headaches to pigeons and galahs. I narrowly avoided three pelicans in a Grob(hardly bigger than a pelican) who never realised the close encounter. I have also seen kamikase green budgies who are very active (during spring I think) in central Australia, they are attracted by propellers. I have had them repetively hitting the perspex of the stationary Baron, others trying to sit on the propeller...at idle RPM.
Now I have a question. If you are established on final at 400ft and you see birds ahead of your flight path, should you try to avoid them by evasive action at the expense of destabilising the appproach or should you continue on hoping that the birds will move? If anyone knows of any articles on that sort of situation I would appreciate a reference. Thanks
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Don't believe anything you hear and only believe half of what you see.
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Lucky escape after launching from AMS 01L in a BAC 1-11 years ago. Visibility was only CAT II on the ground, but the fog was patchy and 400-500ft thick with clear skies above.
Having reached 500agl and started the left turn to track the SPL (341?) radial, we popped out of the fog and immediately became aware of something in our way. What had started as a small speck rapidly became a flight of Canada Geese
in a lob-sided 'V' formation. Only by relaxing our LH turn did we avoid sending chunks of Goose and RR Spey down onto the unsuspecting folks fumbling around in the fog below. However, the subsequent shower of Goose poo was unavoidable!
Having reached 500agl and started the left turn to track the SPL (341?) radial, we popped out of the fog and immediately became aware of something in our way. What had started as a small speck rapidly became a flight of Canada Geese
in a lob-sided 'V' formation. Only by relaxing our LH turn did we avoid sending chunks of Goose and RR Spey down onto the unsuspecting folks fumbling around in the fog below. However, the subsequent shower of Goose poo was unavoidable!
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Took out a big thrush or crow on lift-off from DUB in the spring - impacted on my (RHS) windshield with a 'BANG!' and I found myself cowering below the glareshield. Guts and feathers remianed plastered completely across my forward window, couldn't see a thing forward for the rest of the flight.
Took great delight in showing it to the cabin crew who were invariably a) disgusted, when we pointed out what various bits were, and b) upset that we didn't take avoiding action ("poor birdie") at 50' and 140kts...
Was also at Filton many years ago as an Air Cadet when a SHAR diverted with a suspected bird strike and engine problems - went down the side of the fuselage, and what was left of it (seagull?) on the nozzles was thoroughly cooked by the time it taxied in. Looked nasty, smelt delicious.
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...proceeding below Decision Height WITH CAUTION...
Took great delight in showing it to the cabin crew who were invariably a) disgusted, when we pointed out what various bits were, and b) upset that we didn't take avoiding action ("poor birdie") at 50' and 140kts...
Was also at Filton many years ago as an Air Cadet when a SHAR diverted with a suspected bird strike and engine problems - went down the side of the fuselage, and what was left of it (seagull?) on the nozzles was thoroughly cooked by the time it taxied in. Looked nasty, smelt delicious.
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...proceeding below Decision Height WITH CAUTION...
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In the 1980s the RAF lost quite a lot of Harriers to low-level bird-strikes.
Steve Belcher, a colleague and good friend of mine, died in the post-takeoff crash of his Nimrod. They found 70 or so dead seagulls on the runway; 3 out of 4 engines had lost power due to birdstrike damage. He, as co-pilot and the captain were both killed but everyone down the back survived the crash into the forest off the end of the runway. RIP, mate.
Steve Belcher, a colleague and good friend of mine, died in the post-takeoff crash of his Nimrod. They found 70 or so dead seagulls on the runway; 3 out of 4 engines had lost power due to birdstrike damage. He, as co-pilot and the captain were both killed but everyone down the back survived the crash into the forest off the end of the runway. RIP, mate.
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I had a pigeon (racing variety) take a dive thru my rotor disc shortly after landing once.
An explosion of feathers alerted me to the event, and after shutting down I found the two halves of the doo perfectly severed about 20yds apart.
Thinking the owner might be wringing his fla'cap in anguish at the disappearance of his "fancy" (!) I passed the details of the unfortunate bird's leg ring and the circumstances of it's demise to the Pigeon Racing Society or whatever it is called (who were totallt uninterested) and heard...absolutely sod all.
Now I don't swerve for doos, Malibu Storks and above only.
An explosion of feathers alerted me to the event, and after shutting down I found the two halves of the doo perfectly severed about 20yds apart.
Thinking the owner might be wringing his fla'cap in anguish at the disappearance of his "fancy" (!) I passed the details of the unfortunate bird's leg ring and the circumstances of it's demise to the Pigeon Racing Society or whatever it is called (who were totallt uninterested) and heard...absolutely sod all.
Now I don't swerve for doos, Malibu Storks and above only.
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Ah, yes. Arizona.
In 1961 I was flying USAF F-100s out of Luke AFB.
One day I was flying wing position on a formation takeoff, and just after rotation, there was a violent "bang", along with airframe shudder, and flame shot out the nose intake like an afterburner. Got it back on the ground, got a good chute and got it stopped right at the end of the runway. When they looked inside that afternoon, there was a lot of feathers and bird pieces. It was one of those big prarie hens, weighing 8-10 pounds. Shot 6 turbine buckets through the fuselage. We didn't have zero-zero seats in those days. A few seconds later I'd have been in a hell of a mess.
Also had a hit near the eyebrow window frame on a 727. Sounded like a brick hit us.
My share of others, too, some were not found until postflight/preflight.
In 1961 I was flying USAF F-100s out of Luke AFB.
One day I was flying wing position on a formation takeoff, and just after rotation, there was a violent "bang", along with airframe shudder, and flame shot out the nose intake like an afterburner. Got it back on the ground, got a good chute and got it stopped right at the end of the runway. When they looked inside that afternoon, there was a lot of feathers and bird pieces. It was one of those big prarie hens, weighing 8-10 pounds. Shot 6 turbine buckets through the fuselage. We didn't have zero-zero seats in those days. A few seconds later I'd have been in a hell of a mess.
Also had a hit near the eyebrow window frame on a 727. Sounded like a brick hit us.
My share of others, too, some were not found until postflight/preflight.
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Flight International (Learjets PHF. VA.) took off one morning from runway 05 (uncontrolled airport outside hours). Just on rotation a large Deer appears in the landing lights and whamm strikes the main gear.
A/c nose nose is about five feet high and the mains are just off the deck. Skipper brought it to a halt by the end of the runway and was critised for not continuing into the air.
Damage was extream to say the least. Hydralics gone, both wheels damaged beyond repair with the tyres grotesquely hanging off the rims, fuselarge damage and bent main gear strut!
A/c nose nose is about five feet high and the mains are just off the deck. Skipper brought it to a halt by the end of the runway and was critised for not continuing into the air.
Damage was extream to say the least. Hydralics gone, both wheels damaged beyond repair with the tyres grotesquely hanging off the rims, fuselarge damage and bent main gear strut!
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Hit one bird just after rotate, smack into the centre of my screen. When I climbed out from under the glareshield could see guts everywhere and not much else. Had to hand the 'plane back to the capt. as i couldn't see the runway for landing.
Worst one was on the take off roll from Genoa. A flock of birds lifted off from the runway as we came past at about 120kts. Hit at least 14. Continued with take off as engines OK (PW JT8D) . Smell of roast gulls is pretty gross. Had gear red light on approach due feathers in microswitch. Found feathers and guts all over aircraft, including blocked pitot. Got away lightly I reckon...
Worst one was on the take off roll from Genoa. A flock of birds lifted off from the runway as we came past at about 120kts. Hit at least 14. Continued with take off as engines OK (PW JT8D) . Smell of roast gulls is pretty gross. Had gear red light on approach due feathers in microswitch. Found feathers and guts all over aircraft, including blocked pitot. Got away lightly I reckon...
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One of my colleagues told me of astory a few years ago. He was left seat in a Saab 340 going into Leeds I think but not sure. At about 200 feet a huge flock of gulls decided to take the props. They landed with a totally blood covered windscreen and both engines were knackered. Crews found... wait for it... 56 carcasses around the threshold!!!! Carnage!!!!!
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We had a lucky escape in a Dash-8 coming out of Plymouth a couple of years ago. A pterodactyl sized seagull went through the prop (1200 r.p.m) without touching it, just missing the engine intake by a couple of feet, impacting and wedging istself into the landing light housing! The timing must have been one in a million, rather like firing mausers through propellers!