This very good leaflet on bir strikes has arrived from US AOPA [ local copy ].
So we now know what kind of decals we need to put on the nose of our aircraft..
https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Study-Looming-Eyes-Deflect-Birds-From-Planes-231762-1.html
Interestingly they mention that some birds are not sensitive to it, e.g. because they are fearless. These are prob40 the bigger ones, who can create the most havoc. On the other hand, they are so big that you can spot them early enough. If your eyes are outside..
In response to Peter’s request on another thread, here is the first of my two bird strikes.
Not all bird strikes involve a loud bang followed by lots of blood and feathers, although I imagine that most do.
In 2010, one nice afternoon, to keep my hand in, I decided to pop to Halton to do twice round Aylesbury with a T&G between each. Turning final first time round, I glimpsed a bird fly up in front of me. There was no noise or blood or feathers so I thought that it had missed me. I did the T&G and as I climbed away, at maybe three hundred feet, I got a face full of evil smelling smoke. Assume engine failure, nose down, throttle back, look for field. Realise smoke has stopped, no nasty noises, prop turning, no oil spill evident. Apply partial power, call " Golf blogs blogs mayday, smoke, turning back". My brain reminds me that turning back gets you killed so I start a low level, part power circuit following the airfield boundary. I should explain that Halton is a big level WW1 style grass airfield so at any time I could have turned in and landed. The circuit and landing were fine, I cancelled the mayday and taxied to the hanger. No signs of distress either in the engine bay or behind the panel. I wrote a report (mayday and bird strike both reportable) and went home. As I drove away, I noticed one of the instructors doing engine runs. She got the same face full of smoke and also could not work out why. A subsequent inspection by a technician showed that a small bird had gone through the prop arc, down the cabin air intake (oh, aircraft was a PA28) and lodged in the heat exchanger around the exhaust manifold. Hence, at high power, the remains began to smoke.
Lessons: bird strike is not always as dramatic as expected; smoke does not always mean fire; following the drills works; and even the most simple local flight can turn into an unexpected drama.
Second story:
Late April 2019, I was taking two friends for a trip around Suffolk, starting and finishing at Crowfield (EGSO). We were in a Maule.
Flying at 1800 feet QNH, just starting a gentle right turn to show my passengers Covehithe church. We noticed two birds, believed on reflection to be a buzzard and a cormorant, pass in front of us and disappear to our right. There was a gentle but clear thump from the right wing. I decided that I should land at the nearest airfield, Beccles EGSM which was 4 miles to the NNW. I did not feel the need to land immediately in a field. A quick glance at my paper map confirmed that Beccles was the nearest runway. I was already in contact with Beccles Radio so I called them to say that we had a bird strike and were inbound for an immediate landing. On reflection, I should have called Pan Pan Pan. Later, my passengers said that my voice did not change at all during the incident. I set the direct on the GNS430 to Beccles. A few minutes later, I landed on runway 09. On reflection, Beccles Radio had told me that 27 was in-use but this did not register with me. However, the wind was varying around northerly so either way it was a 90 degree crosswind. I landed long but with some firm braking was able to stop well short of the end of the runway. In normal circumstances I would have gone around (the carb’ heat was away and the propeller control fully forward) but did not want to fly a circuit with unknown damage. We secured the aeroplane, took photographs and went home by road. I was fine during the event but while taxiing, my legs were trembling. Beecles were fine about everything although one chap did ask me why I had landed 09 instead of 27. I am afraid that I snapped “Because I didn’t know whether the f*****g wing was going to fall off”. In fact, the only damage was to the GRP tip fairing. We found only one feather and assumed that the bird had fallen to earth. In fact, I have since heard form our maintainer that when he removed the broken moulding, it contained the buzzard, entire except for the head which was nowhere to be seen.
172driver wrote:
Californian Condors soar to great heights just north of L.A. Once saw one at around 10k ft
Hit one large example once east of LA above 10000 feet going 300+ knots. It was a loud bang. Poor creature lost, B777 won. Big bloody spot on the nose.
I have had two.
Gull on rotation at Schiphol. Hit nose gear door and was sliced in half. Mess all the way back to the tail.
Something else in Northern Germany. Hit dead on leading edge of left wing and dented it. Required boot replacement and significant structural work.
I had one small strike at Losinj LDLO few years ago at take off. I hit seagull and scratched some paint on the back of prop.
I hit a bird at about FL 100 over Birmingham on night, I have no idea what it was but the blood & guts left on the windshield required me to give control to the FO as I could not see enough to land the aircraft.
I am doing my PPL training based at LFST and I very often spot small flocks of crows on the runway upon landing/take off, so I thought I would search “bird strike” on EuroGA to get an idea of what might happen if I hit one of those little bastards. Sure enough, I found this thread and as it often happens here I don’t feel safer now, but at least I am more aware, which is arguably better :D
Now my question is: I fly a DR400 with wooden wing structure and fabric surfaces. I have seen those big dents that even a seagull or a pigeon can do on a metal wing so I am wondering what would happen to my little and delicate flying machine if I hit a crow with a wing or with the tailplane. Would that tear the whole thing apart?
I refer mostly to take off and landing speeds, let’s say somewhere between 50 and 70 kts.
The Delamontes wing is very strong.
I hit a fence with a Jodel DR1050, aborting take-off, at less than flying speed, but quite fast. The wingspar wasn’t reached. Farm livestock fence.
Flew back a few days later, after engineer had repaired damage.
