I've heard about birds diving too, but hadn't realised that gulls were meant to be an exception. They just carry on, do they?>
Not true in my experience, they also dive - at least the Spanish ones do!
At the speeds I fly the birds seem to have the courtesy to overtake carefully, although I had some scary moments when surrounded by a huge flock of swifts, swallows and the like. For a moment or two the sky around me seemed filled with hurtling birds, feeding I guess on insects sucked up below the cloud I was passing under at the time. I found myself ducking as they whirled past, a lot of good that would have done 2mm of polycarb sheet against a bird thrown by a prop, no contest.
More positive encounters though have been very pleasing. Twice now I have had buzzards formating with me as we've eyed each other up. Earlier this year as I played on one of the nice summers days I shared a thermal with another buzzard who flew with wonderful thermal discipline on the other side of the rising air, keeping station to perfection. I felt privileged.
I've never had one, but twice in the last couple of months have learned something about them, both teaching out of Booker.
First, there was a front coming in from the west. I could clearly see it, and I could clearly see that it was going to be unflyable once it got a bit closer - but it was moving slowly, and so I elected as instructor to have us continue with some circuits. However, what I hadn't expected was that Buckinghamshire's large Red Kite population seemed to have decided to move into the relative safety ahead of the front into the Booker overhead. In one circuit, we had three close encounters - two kites and something smaller which was possibly a kestrel, and I suffered a mild sense of humour failure and had my student land for an early lunch.
Second, just after departing Booker for a local area flight and staying on frequency I heard another aircraft had had a prop-strike landing - it seems to have shredded a seagull. No big deal for them, they taxied back in to have it checked. However the local red kites again decided that this was a free buffet and the airport management were forced to close the airfield for around 20 minutes whilst some poor sods had to go and pick up every tiny bit of seagull so that the kites would clear off and have lunch somewhere else.
No damage either time, but a definite "I learned about birdstrikes from that".
G
I've heard about birds diving too, but hadn't realised that gulls were meant to be an exception. They just carry on, do they?
I have heard an apocryphal story of a seagull who went through the propeller of a light aircraft, through the windscreen, and into the back seat. The pilot's problems had only started as it was still very alive, and very angry...
Only near misses.
Flying over SE England at 3000' above a solid undercast, radar (primary only) gave me "faint target right to left". A few seconds later a V formation of approx 12 geese passed just in front, same level. Neither party attempted evasion action. All a bit of a non-event, but how did the geese intend to re-establish VMC below cloud? The undercast was very widespread with low ceilings below. How do birds descend through cloud? Or do they just keep flying until they find a hole in the undercast?
So far never hit one of our feathered friends, but had a few scares.
The first (and biggest!) was flying back to Burbank from General Fox in the Mojave desert. This route takes you close to a condor sanctuary - and sure enough, one of these guys who looked about the same size as my PA28 came a bit too close for comfort. Hate to think what happens if PA28 and Californian condor meet.....
Having flown a lot in southern Spain I've frequently been pretty close to seagulls of any size (they get big!) and seen the occasional eagle / vulture.
Justine and I saw some huge vultures at ~10,000ft over S. Spain in 2005.
I was surprised a few weeks ago to come across a lone Hawk at 5500 ft. It was a very rough day, so I'm assuming he found lift. I saw him coming head on but too late to take much action. From my vantage point in the aircraft he seemed to do everything he could to turn into a stone. He went under the left wing, tumbling. I felt sorry to upset him, but I'm sure glad he didn't upset me!
I'm told most bird species except gulls will go downward when they see an aircraft (?) Not my area of expertise.
A T-tail twin had a fatal crash a few years ago, in northern US, when it hit geese at night. Probably the greatest danger is at night, with landing lights off. Or in IMC - I've heard geese flying over in the cloud. At our speeds, in VMC, only inexperienced juveniles are likely to be hit. Bonxies (great skuas) will actively attack, not just to defend their nest. From the passenger seat of our mainly white Jodel, flying about 70kts low off the coast, I've seen them lose control in the propwash after an interception.
