Mooney_Driver wrote:
Don’t know how the heck they breathe up there
I don’t know much about birds, I suppose they could to some extent utilize ram effect. And at least some soaring birds can lock their wings so they actually exert very little effort. I remember reading about some that could sleep while soaring. And that would be one reason for not avoiding you – you’re ruining his nap. 
If you ask me, that’s pretty “cool”.
It’s understandable they would want to get high. Some of them live in the mountains where 10 km AMSL isn’t that much AGL. High altitude AGL allows them to spot lunch further away. And just like with sailplane pilots, it allows them to store a lot of energy to cross areas of “dead” air. Also, winds at such high altitudes can be rather fast, it they’re favorable, they can be of great help.
I know it’s in German but I reckon the pics should say enough… especcially the last one.
Peter wrote:
or a weak wing?
Are we positive the wing actually broke off due to the bird?
I can think of a few other causes down the chain of events that could eventually cause the wing to come off…
Mind you the various internet calculators have me believe that an object:
- of 10 kgs
- with a speed of 60 m/s (~120 kts)
- stopped in 0.25 m
generates an impact force of 8.4 tons … !
Archie wrote:
Mind you the various internet calculators have me believe that an object:
- of 10 kgs
- with a speed of 60 m/s (~120 kts)
- stopped in 0.25 m
generates an impact force of 8.4 tons … !
Why not? Assuming a constant acceleration, the impact force would be of that magnitude (although my calculations gives a slightly lower figure). And that is assuming the bird was stationary, which it most certainly was not.
@Mooney_Driver A good one. Du landest sofort! Den Rest gehst du zu Fuß!
Archie wrote:
Are we positive the wing actually broke off due to the bird?
I don’t think we’re positive (IIRC it’s a recent accident). But I can imagine such a bird could break a spar.
For french reader, I found this document written by the French gliding federation: Risques aviaires
And again: 3 fatalities after birdstrike in Spain
Is there some statistical support for this number or is this just an unusual run of accidents?
One source says it was a DR-400. RIP.
Patrick suffered a bird strike in Spain a week ago with just some bent metal as a result and a bird with a serious headache or maybe worse. But a few days ago 3 French people were less fortunate. Their plane collided with a big bird near Pamplona. All died. That is the third of such an accident in Spain this year. Very very sad.
I did some local bimbling in the mountains the other day and got almost face-to-face with a huge vulture. Had to deviate because he seemed not to intend to..
I enjoy looking outside anyway, but am going to do so even more as of now.
And will tell any person in the right hand seat to watch out as well, just in case.
Safe flying all
