SO - Kangaroo's on or near the edge of runway when landing or takeoff. Has anyone tried a horn!!!!

[SSCBD]

Ok seriously - I have had a few frights over the years with kangaroos when landing in the afternoon at some strips or anytime during the day. 

Yes I have buzzed the strip at ten feet and a few moved but still many stayed. 

The bloody things don't move even when I get the plane down to walking speed on landing they have still been standing 10 feet from the wing. So of course I expect one to run in front of the prop or wing as you wont be able to shut down and stop as fast as they can hop in front of you. 

 

SO has anyone used a horn on their aircraft for this reason. Is it effective to clear them away say during a flyby and on landing. As the engine noise is not doing it. 

 

[ClintonB]

What about fitting a pair of the car whistles with high quality mounting tape like 3M or Wurth body tape for vehicle construction. Worst case scenario you end up sounding like a Stuka on final

[skippydiesel]

30 minutes ago, SSCBD said:

Ok seriously - I have had a few frights over the years with kangaroos when landing in the afternoon at some strips or anytime during the day. 

Yes I have buzzed the strip at ten feet and a few moved but still many stayed. 

The bloody things don't move even when I get the plane down to walking speed on landing they have still been standing 10 feet from the wing. So of course I expect one to run in front of the prop or wing as you wont be able to shut down and stop as fast as they can hop in front of you. 

 

SO has anyone used a horn on their aircraft for this reason. Is it effective to clear them away say during a flyby and on landing. As the engine noise is not doing it. 

 

I have the same problem, plus horses, if the gate has been opened while I have been away. On occasion have had to phone for someone to do a vehicle "strip run"

 

I have fitted, low down on the fire wall/engine bay bulkhead, close to the exit air aperture,  a preloved, 12v, car alarm, activated by a panel switch - seems to have the desired effect - general scattering of all unwanted living obstacles. In the fulness of time, they may become habituated to the noise and ignore it too.

[Cosmick]

This topic was discussed in length some time back. 

[kgwilson]

Animals certainly do get used to aircraft after a while. Kangaroos normally move off a bit. Early morning and late afternoon is their favourite time to be near or on the strip. In the mornings I will taxi down the full length of the strip and they move away & then just keep on eating when I take off. We had some sheep turn up at one stage. They are totally indifferent. Couldn't care less about aircraft and just wandered across the runway whenever they felt like it.

[skippydiesel]

The Oaks airfield, has had, on occasion, goats, cattle and the odd miracle of modern medicine, the brain dead pedestrian. 

[gareth lacey]

Flying into Kooralbyn one morning for coffee and just about to flare and this thing turned around it was a young bloke, his clothes merged into the  runway(bitumen) gave me a fright ,powered up and did a go round when i finally landed and taxied to parking he was just about near us so asked why was he walking on a active runway he said, its a shortcut, ,50 metres closer he would have been minus a head Darwins award to him

[Cosmick]

 

[Cosmick]

I have been traveling west for 40 years and had a couple of hits and many near misses. Last 10 years have used the cheap whistles from supercheap and noticed immediatly the Kangaroo's react differently. They tend to be moving away when you see them in the distance. For less than $10 if the risk is reduced it is worth it. The pitch is higher than you can hear unless maybe your under 18.

 

Edited January 17, 2021 by Cosmick

[onetrack]

Kangaroos definitely respond to a whistling noise - but we used to whistle to make them stop and look in our direction, so we could get a better head shot!

 

The single biggest problem with 'roos is that they're brainless on the move. They will start to hop in one direction, then reverse direction in a second, if they suddenly decide there's a threat in the direction they're heading.

If there's a group, that's better, as they are herd animals, and stay together - so, if one 'roo moves and the others notice, they will all hop in the same direction.

But if one get left behind and suddenly wakes up, he/she will make a mad dash to catch up to the others. It's the odd single 'roo you didn't see, that you have to be most concerned about.

Even the RFDS has had numerous 'roo strikes, and they haven't found a successful technique for eliminating them. 

 

https://www.gympietimes.com.au/news/flying-docs-taken-out-by-kangaroo/2052477/

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-19/flying-doctor-grounded-after-hitting-kangaroo/4324010

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2013-02-28/rfds-pilot-narrowly-misses-hitting-kangaroo/6147250

 

 

[old man emu]

3 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

The Oaks airfield, has had, on occasion, goats, cattle and the odd miracle of modern medicine, the brain dead pedestrian. 

Making its way home to Nattai?

 

 

On the topic of sonic animal repellers, it seems that the scientists can't prove that they work, but people in rural areas reckon they do.

https://caravan.hemax.com/Reviews/1854/Sonic_animal_guards_Product_Test

 

These things usually cost around $10  

At the landing speeds of small (as in Rec Flying types) the devices would be in the operating speed range for cars that they were designed for. The units come with double-sided tape to stick to the body of a vehicle, but I'd look at securing them with something better.

 

And don't forget to get an Engineering Order to make the fitting all legal-like. 

 

[onetrack]

The sonic kangaroo-repellers are in the same category as snake oil - they simply don't work. Why? Because they don't project their sound far enough ahead - and their whistle is drowned out by vehicle and road/tyre noise.

 

https://abigpeacheyadventure.com.au/kangaroo-whistles/

 

Skippys idea of a horn or alarm is as good as any idea - it's the startle effect you need, a loud unusual sound, that is not part of their normal landscape sounds.

 

If you want to go the whole hog, fit an air horn! Guaranteed to raise the dead into movement!

[skippydiesel]

Thanks for that Onetrack  always appreciate a friendly comment - just to expand a little on my installation - started with a vehicle horn - sounded laud a scary to me but the beasties took very little notice.  Removed horn & installed (same location & wiring) the security siren thingy. It builds up to speed (moving part) & sound making a horrible wailing din - it works as hoped.!

[Bruce Tuncks]

How about something on the ground, activated by radio like the lights can be?

I can imagine a line of these along the runway. If they all suddenly sounded, I can imagine the roos running away, well at least for the first few times.

[Bruce Tuncks]

But here is a better idea.. get the local pet food guy to come out and harvest those roos.

[NT5224]

Where I live we have a mob of 30- 50 roos that graze my strip morning and evening when I generally fly. I have therefore  developed a highly effective method of clearing the airfield  prior to landing or take-off.

 

Its 100% effective, and this effectiveness does not diminish. It is also humane, as no animals are hurt or unduly frightened by my control method. Here it is:

 

 

 

 

 

Alan

Edited January 18, 2021 by NT5224

[old man emu]

Yo, Rinny!

[onetrack]

But how do you get Rin-tin-tin to sort out the kangaroos, prior to landing? Drop him off with a parachute, and let him go for it? 

[NT5224]

57 minutes ago, onetrack said:

But how do you get Rin-tin-tin to sort out the kangaroos, prior to landing? Drop him off with a parachute, and let him go for it? 

Nup

 

Assuming my wife is at home, I  radio ahead. My strip is about a kilometre through thick forest from the house but when the boy is dispatched and Im circling overhead it takes him about three minutes to get there and another two minutes to clear the length of the strip... ( say  time it takes me to fly one circuit).

 

He won't approach an aircraft until the engine shuts down. 

 

He knows his job...

 

Of course if he's flying with us its more of an issue... Perhaps we should explore the parachute concept...?

🤣

 

Alan 

Edited January 18, 2021 by NT5224

[spacesailor]

PARACHUTE 

Sounds the go,

FLY OVER HOME, DROP THE WIFE !.

Fly over strip, drop the doggy, do circuit, land & put your toy away, pick up doggy, home & dinner,s ready.

GREAT

thats how Life should be.

spacesailor

[SplitS]

Permits and use the high velocity horn 🙂

[facthunter]

Fence the airstrip. Cattle and most animals on a strip are dangerous. Nev

[eightyknots]

On 17/01/2021 at 4:46 PM, onetrack said:

The sonic kangaroo-repellers are in the same category as snake oil - they simply don't work. Why? Because they don't project their sound far enough ahead - and their whistle is drowned out by vehicle and road/tyre noise.

 

 

 

Edited January 18, 2021 by eightyknots

[eightyknots]

The sound will always be projected ahead with RAAus aircraft but they don't work for aircraft flying faster than Mach 1.

[cooperplace]

On 17/01/2021 at 1:12 PM, old man emu said:

Making its way home to Nattai?

 

 

On the topic of sonic animal repellers, it seems that the scientists can't prove that they work, but people in rural areas reckon they do.

https://caravan.hemax.com/Reviews/1854/Sonic_animal_guards_Product_Test

 

These things usually cost around $10  

At the landing speeds of small (as in Rec Flying types) the devices would be in the operating speed range for cars that they were designed for. The units come with double-sided tape to stick to the body of a vehicle, but I'd look at securing them with something better.

 

And don't forget to get an Engineering Order to make the fitting all legal-like. 

 

There's a similar device, the Shoo-Roo, which U Qld tested for one of motoring associations. They concluded it was bogus, based on (i) it didn't emit the claimed noise (ii) roos can't hear the claimed noise anyway -don't ask me how they knew that- and (iii) fitment of these things didn't reduce roo strikes.