One reason to be prepared for a Go-Around or balked landing

[A64Pilot]

These were apparently on my home field yesterday, I didn’t see them myself but this pic was taken at 8 PM.

Deer are bad enough, Pigs I’ve been told are like hitting a stump, but I’m sure a Cow would total the aircraft.

I guess there was a hole in the fence

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by A64Pilot

[Joshua Blackh4t]

Yep, annoying things. They don't shift either, so prepare for holding or an alternate.

And they make a mess under the plane.

At least kangaroos scare off easily enough and don't leave a sloppy mess on the strip.

Have also had to watch out for emus and horses. Horses leave big hoofprints in soft ground that can be bad to put a nosewheel in.

 

[Niko182]

I'd play a game of chicken with one of those. How else am I supposed to prove my masculinity as a pilot?

[N201MKTurbo]

I landed at the old airport at Chinle AZ about 30 years ago. This airport was literally in the middle of town. It is gone now and the new airport is outside of town. On short final this old native american man walked out in the middle of the runway, stared me down and dared me to hit him. I went around and on the next attempt he was gone. A friend of mine had a contract to fix the PA system at the high school and he hired me as a consultant, so we could fly up there. BTW I did have the skills to fix the system and ultimately did. So it wasn't an illegal air taxi.

I just went and looked at the Google Satellite view of Chinle. The old airport was a dirt strip, you can still see it. It runs parallel to a line of new houses.

[redbaron1982]

During my transition training I had a couple of landings where it bounced and I was very relieved to see how easy is to go around in my M20J. Full power, some right rudder and the airplane is already climbing. 

I had one flying solo too and same thing.

Much, much, safer to go around than try to land in an unsafe condition. 

[MikeOH]

1 hour ago, Niko182 said:

I'd play a game of chicken with one of those. How else am I supposed to prove my masculinity as a pilot?

You be sure and tell that to your insurance adjuster after hitting the cattle; I'm sure your premiums won't go up next year if you do that

[PeteMc]

Brings new meaning to the term "meat grinder" if you do meat... er.... meet one of them on the runway! 

[Ned Gravel]

3 hours ago, Niko182 said:

I'd play a game of chicken with one of those. How else am I supposed to prove my masculinity as a pilot?

Ever heard of cow tipping?  Time spent playing football as a defensive back or rugby as a prop (preferably at varsity level) helps. Signs of a misspent youth.  
 

Otherwise best to leave them to the farm (or ranch) hands.  

[SARNorm]

An utter catastrophe!

[Pasturepilot]

I got my username as a nickname after hitting a cow patty at touchdown in a Cub with the door open. It was a messy day. Still.. I'll take that cleanup job over using a Hartzell butcher saw any day of the week.

[kerry]

I've been told if you hit a dog then the dogs owner is responsible for the repairs.  I wonder if the same holds true for the cattle owner. 

[EricJ]

5 minutes ago, kerry said:

I've been told if you hit a dog then the dogs owner is responsible for the repairs.  I wonder if the same holds true for the cattle owner. 

If the cow is somewhere it isn't supposed to be and the owner failed to maintain control of the animal, then, yes.

The field I learned on was an Army Air Field that contracted to a local herder to graze sheep on the field.   They stayed off the runway because there wasn't grass there, but the sheep dogs would sleep in the middle of the runway because it was warmer there.   Once in a while we'd drag them and hit the throttle just as we passed a few feet over them, which would wake them up and get them off the runway.   They were never around at night, so that wasn't an issue, and we'd just watch out for them during the day if the sheep were around, which were easy to spot.

[kortopates]

I had to go around because of a pair of dogs mating on the runway, not once, not twice, not three times but 4 times! That guy just kept at it oblivious as we buzzed over.
It was a dirt strip in Baja (Mulege) and finally we got someone from the hotel to drive down the strip in their truck to hurry them up so we could land.


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[Hank]

5 hours ago, kortopates said:

I had to go around because of a pair of dogs mating on the runway, not once, not twice, not three times but 4 times! That guy just kept at it oblivious as we buzzed over.
It was a dirt strip in Baja (Mulege) and finally we got someone from the hotel to drive down the strip in their truck to hurry them up so we could land.

And here I thought you just kept finding dogs mating on the runway when you went places. Four go arounds at one field, not one go around each at four different fields?

[kortopates]

Consecutive Go arounds for the same pair of dogs.


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[0TreeLemur]

22 hours ago, kerry said:

I've been told if you hit a dog then the dogs owner is responsible for the repairs.  I wonder if the same holds true for the cattle owner. 

It depends on state law.  Some states still have "open range" laws on the books, declaring that it is the responsibility of vehicle operators to not hit livestock, not the responsibility of livestock owners to control where they go.

[A64Pilot]

On 6/20/2023 at 1:35 PM, kerry said:

I've been told if you hit a dog then the dogs owner is responsible for the repairs.  I wonder if the same holds true for the cattle owner. 

Yes, unless things have changed. They failed to restrain the animal and that led to your accident, open range like Ft Hood was is different of course

I think though hitting a Cow in a Mooney depending on speed, you could get hurt

Edited June 21, 2023 by A64Pilot