Microlight Bird Strike Caught on Video - AMAZING FOOTAGE!!!

[John.com]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nquG3vov24

 

Safe Skies!

 

John

 

 

[facthunter]

Pretty rare footage I would expect.Nev

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Wow..Nice bit of footage.. (love the colours of the trike)

 

Check this one out from flying wild alaska.

 

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Good lesson, Motz; one more thing for us to be wary of. I wonder how the thin acrylic screens common in RA would handle a large bird strike. A mate hit a big eagle in his car last week. Completely covered the windscreen.

 

 

[facthunter]

Don't wonder how the thin acrylic windscreens handle a large ( or smaller) bird. Old Koreelah, they don't. Nev

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Don't wonder how the thin acrylic windscreens handle a large ( or smaller) bird. Old Koreelah, they don't. Nev

That's why mine is very laid back 2mm polycarbonate (lexan). Doesn't handle fuel etc. and scratches too easily, but it will absorb and deflect one hell of an impact.

 

 

[facthunter]

Not flying too fast helps, but if you fly too slow you may get birdstrikes from behind as well. Serously though, It is a concern. I've had plenty of near misses with wedgetails which appear to be on the increase. Good for the environment. Bad for U/L's.. Nev

 

 

[John.com]

Wow..Nice bit of footage.. (love the colours of the trike)Check this one out from flying wild alaska.

 

Thanks Nev! Yes, she is a sexy bird!!

 

Nice Alaska video! Thanks for sharing that!! Makes my "starling-strike" seem a little pedestrian, but I am still completely fascinated as to how the bird made its way ONTO my exhaust system RIGHT in front of the propellor, and then waited for me to land before dropping off!!!

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Moving frame by frame through the Starling Strike, it is only 9 frames from initial sighting to hit. That's 0.36 seconds!

 

These things can happen very suddenly. Touch wood , I haven't had a bird strike yet, but I did have a close encounter with two birds that I reckon flew at me, from I don't know where, and then climbed to pass about a metre over the top of my wing. As with the starling video, it all happened in less than a second. I don't know the bird type, but they were extremely aerobatic, like swallows, but with a wider wingspan.

 

I've had to take evasive action from Pelicans too. Being near water we get flocks of them on occasion, although often just flying in twos and threes. They usually see you coming and get out of the way, but not always. The bigger slow moving birds aren't so bad as you can usually see them far enough away to ensure you aren't on a convergent path. Eagles and hawks will attack, so best to stay well clear, and if possible above them.

 

Some months back I had a Cockatoo take out the laminated windscreen on my car. Ok, the windscreen protected me, but it suffered several large cracks that necessitated replacement. The bang when it hit was enough to make you jump. I don't think a trike windscreen would impede its progress very much.

 

 

[flying dog]

You know you are flying slow when the birds come and land on you.

 

 

[John.com]

Moving frame by frame through the Starling Strike, it is only 9 frames from initial sighting to hit. That's 0.36 seconds!These things can happen very suddenly. Touch wood , I haven't had a bird strike yet, but I did have a close encounter with two birds that I reckon flew at me, from I don't know where, and then climbed to pass about a metre over the top of my wing. As with the starling video, it all happened in less than a second. I don't know the bird type, but they were extremely aerobatic, like swallows, but with a wider wingspan.

 

I've had to take evasive action from Pelicans too. Being near water we get flocks of them on occasion, although often just flying in twos and threes. They usually see you coming and get out of the way, but not always. The bigger slow moving birds aren't so bad as you can usually see them far enough away to ensure you aren't on a convergent path. Eagles and hawks will attack, so best to stay well clear, and if possible above them.

 

Some months back I had a Cockatoo take out the laminated windscreen on my car. Ok, the windscreen protected me, but it suffered several large cracks that necessitated replacement. The bang when it hit was enough to make you jump. I don't think a trike windscreen would impede its progress very much.

Thanks for the post David!

 

Yes, I literally saw a blur and then felt a pat on my left side below my arm . . . . THAT WAS IT!

 

How it didn't go through the prop and ended up on the exhaust is fascinating to say the least! And to then simply "drop off" whilst I was on the ground with the motor at idle speed . . . . AMAZING!!!!

 

Anyway, it all makes for interesting flying!!

 

Safe Skies!

 

John

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

I wonder how the thin acrylic screens common in RA would handle a large bird strike. A mate hit a big eagle in his car last week. Completely covered the windscreen.

Not seen this episode of Mythbusters? It doesn't look good...

 

 

 

[robinsm]

Flying dog, I don't mind them sitting on the wing but they could flap to earn their keep, and not leave a calling card when they leave. When eagles overtake you and you can hear them laughing, its a trifle embarrassing.

 

 

[AlanB]

I wouldn't have minded if this wedgie had of just overtaken me.

 

cheers Alan

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Not seen this episode of Mythbusters? It doesn't look good...

If I recall the episode correctly, they had to use frozen chooks to penetrate the screen!

[Guest Howard Hughes]

If I recall the episode correctly, they had to use frozen chooks to penetrate the screen!

I thought they both hit with the same amount of force and basically did the same amount of damage. The point I was trying to make is at about 2:00, where the bird goes through the perspex like it wasn't there....

 

 

[Tex]

I wouldn't have minded if this wedgie had of just overtaken me.

Damn Alan that Goat has got you working hard! Short aircraft syndrome?

Big Wedgee too!

 

I had one about 30% bigger than that beat me up near Hay, I measured the claw marks at 300mm width.

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

I thought they both hit with the same amount of force and basically did the same amount of damage. The point I was trying to make is at about 2:00, where the bird goes through the perspex like it wasn't there....

Now I'm back on broadband, I've watched your clip. They do conclude that both impart the same force, but looking at the video the frozen chicken is already somewhat mashed by the acceleration from the gun, so not quite the same as a solid, structurally intact chicken.

Anyway, probably a moot point as none of the birds we encounter are likely to be deep frozen ;-)

 

I figure my windscreen is going to give just about as much protection as illustrated in the video , and pelicans are somewhat bigger and heavier than chickens.

 

 

[AlanB]

Damn Alan that Goat has got you working hard! Short aircraft syndrome?

Tex,

Short aircraft and wrong "gearing" with the elevator controls. Placed some pulleys into the system to reduce the stick movement. It's a lot better now as you can see from this video. cheers Alan.

 

 

 

[Tex]

Nice!

 

 

[Louis Moore]

Imagine that same footage from the birds gun camera:ah oh:

 

I can just here the little winged creatures last words "TAKA TAKA TAKA TAKA"

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Good one Louis!

 

I have had an Eagle fly almost inverted with talons extended towards me as I climbed about 70' over the top of it. Quite spectacular. I had spotted it from a reasonable distance and decided it was safer to climb over it, so I could not dive on me.

 

Yesterday, I had just given a 3 mile final call for Wangaratta when my scan picked up an Eagle out to the left and a bit ahead. Estimating that it was pretty close to my wingman's flight path, I called "Eagle ahead, our level", to alert him. As we continued the descent we watched as the Eagle glided in the same direction, but a bit slower and eyed us off as we overtook it. Discussing it on the ground, while warming our hands on a cup of coffee, the Eagle was also a bit left of my Wingman's flight path too.

 

It was as if the Eagle was saying, "what are you two doing in my airspace?".

 

Earlier, there had been two, chasing each other up a thermal near the end of the runway at Yarrawonga, as we started to taxi. They had gone by the time we lined up, though.

 

Another magnificent day for flying!