Got real lucky

[Dream to fly]

Decided to fly the lake yesterday and practice some slow flight in a North Dakota breeze 15 - 20 mph.  I've done this a hundred times before and never had any issues.  Yesterday I forgot about the birds starting their fall migratory patterns.  Roll out to a beautiful take off and spooked a bunch of birds.   A Mooney can dance!!!  I only tipped one with the left wing and no damage but my eyes were very wide.  That was a first time encounter with birds that close.  I had remembered reading that birds will dive instinctively when on a collision course and I for some reason pulled back and banked right at the perfect moment.  I'm sure it was more luck that experience but the prop wash tumbled a few and the Mooney turned and climbed perfect.  I couldn't have been 60 ft off the ground.  Now I am thinking if I could have handled this differently or should I play the lottery.

[Dream to fly]

I did report it to my IFR instructor and he told me to call the 800 number posted at the airport. I gave them the info, time direction of flight and location.    The lady said if the plane has no damage they will send someone out from game and fish to survey the area in the next couple of days.  Her thoughts were they will probably put cannons at the ends of the runway to scare away the birds.   It happened so fast I was surprised that there was nothing wrong.  I felt the thud and figured I lost the wingtip light and dented the wing but there is a smudge nothing else.   Stupid lucky I guess.  Just figured I would post to remind everyone that tis the season.    We had reports a few weeks ago that deer were bedding down on or near the runway and the video cameras have wild turkeys walking across the taxiway. 

[peevee]

When I was in GFK the university had an arrow take a bird right into the heater inlet below the prop and lodge up against the muffler or shroud or something hot. They almost ditched it in a field thinking they had an engine fire.

[neilpilot]

Unless something has changed the FAA has fought the DOT request to make a bird strike a mandatory report.  I think it's still an option, but is encouraged.

[TonyK]

https://wildlife.faa.gov/strikenew.aspx

Here you go Joe.

[EricJ]

A friend hit a group of doves a while back on take off with his Cherokee.   They're not big enough to do much damage but a couple of them made quite a mess that had to be cleaned off the wings and tailplane.  He did that on his way to pick me up, so it was pretty ugly when I saw it.  Bleah.  Actually cleaned up pretty easy, though.

But, yeah, in the Dakotas and other central flyways during migration the ducks and geese can make your day very bad, even at a reasonable altitude.    Around here we have to watch for the hawks and other raptors that hang around the large, open airport spaces looking for rodents.   The Harris Hawks are social, so there's often a few of them flying together.

[Mooneymite]

Bird strike hazard will be greatly reduced once the FAA gets them all equipped with ADS-B.

2020, Baby.  Can't wait. 

[peevee]

On 9/1/2017 at 3:10 PM, EricJ said:

A friend hit a group of doves a while back on take off with his Cherokee.   They're not big enough to do much damage but a couple of them made quite a mess that had to be cleaned off the wings and tailplane.  He did that on his way to pick me up, so it was pretty ugly when I saw it.  Bleah.  Actually cleaned up pretty easy, though.

But, yeah, in the Dakotas and other central flyways during migration the ducks and geese can make your day very bad, even at a reasonable altitude.    Around here we have to watch for the hawks and other raptors that hang around the large, open airport spaces looking for rodents.   The Harris Hawks are social, so there's often a few of them flying together.

Und lost a Seminole and both occupants to a goose at night....

[Dream to fly]

Undo lost a Seminole and both occupants to a goose at night....

Went out tonight and there were donkeys on the field

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk

[steingar]

One of my buddies took a bird to his Lanceair's windshield (the certificated four seat one).  He said it was like a bug splat on steroids.  Right in front of him, he had to slip it to land.  Real mess, too.

[Yetti]

Turkey Vultures.  We got them in Texas.  They ride the thermals to higher elevations.  Only time I scared Mrs. Yetti was dodging one. I yanked the wing tip up and out of it's way  It's pretty normal thing to dodge all year long.

[Guest]

On September 5, 2017 at 9:00 PM, Dream to fly said:

Went out tonight and there were donkeys on the field

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk
 

They appear to be refuelling, I think you're safe to depart.

Clarence

[Kyle N]

Here in Eastern Iowa the goose migration gets very heavy in the fall. I always have it on my mind this time of the year.

The other concerning thing is they like to fly at night at times. Last night I brought the puppy outside around 11 and heard a large group of geese fly overhead! 

[bradp]

I hit a starling with the vert stab in a 152 (small bird for small plane?) in my first solo trip to a nearby field.  My bird pucker factor was implanted at a early age.  

[TonyK]

Egret with a 152.  Caught it with the wing strut.  No damage.  What a mess to remove its bifurcated corpse on landing and clean the side of the airplane.

[steingar]

Of course, now that I think about it had the OP been really lucky there would have been no birds anywhere near the airport and he would have had a nice flight.