Cape Air - Splat - No ditching in Hudson :)

A good friend of mine flies for Cape and was in HYA when the aircraft returned -He said the entire interior will most likely have to be redone as the entire cabin is filled with blood and guts.
 
Bird strikes are something any thinking pilot dreads. Several pounds of meat coming through the windscreen at cruise speed can kill you. I've had three; twice with seagulls, and once with a pelican. The pelican was the most exciting, as we flew into a flock which came out of the sunset while we were cruising at about 200ft. Flamed out our #1 engine (was sucked directly into the intake) :yikes:
 
I've flow cape air a lot and we've never had a co pilot, just a lucky pax that gets to sit right seat.
 
Hard to believe, but this is even messier than any rental plane I've flown:

bird-strike.jpg
 
Threefingeredjack said:
Bird strikes are something any thinking pilot dreads. Several pounds of meat coming through the windscreen at cruise speed can kill you. I've had three; twice with seagulls, and once with a pelican. The pelican was the most exciting, as we flew into a flock which came out of the sunset while we were cruising at about 200ft. Flamed out our #1 engine (was sucked directly into the intake) :yikes:
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That is scary as heck. Glad you had another engine.
 
AdamZ said:
I've flow cape air a lot and we've never had a co pilot, just a lucky pax that gets to sit right seat.
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New pilots (with the company) building hours will fly as an FO. Cape Air will bump them off the flight if they can sell the seat to a passenger, though. :yes:
 
My bird strike was on the nose baggage door, but every time I see a buzzard I flinch just a little. :eek:
 
N747JB said:
My bird strike was on the nose baggage door, but every time I see a buzzard I flinch just a little. :eek:
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I flew less than 50 feet over a bald eagle on a straight in to KORL today (we were on a straight in, not the eagle :) ). Unfortunately my son had already put the camera away.

My primary instructor told me to not try to avoid the birds because they'll miss you. I didn't question it at the time, but there are enough buzzards even up at 4-5 thousand feet that I cringe when they get to close.

John
 
Most birds will get out of your way. Seagulls are retarded and never do.
 
I've never actually had the time to really evade a bird in flight....maybe a last minute maneuver that wouldn't have really made a difference, but unless it is a flock of giant birds it is hard to see until within a mile or so. At that point you have maybe 5-6 seconds to see it and do something about it. It's been their evasive flying or pure luck that has saved me countless times. Last time I hit one, it bounced off the side of the nose, and narrowly missed going straight down the right intake. There was just one spot of dried blood and a couple feathers.....think it went poof pretty well
 
I have a small dent on my right wing from a bird strike I got during rotation, scared the crap out of me.
 
My one bird strike was nowhere so dramatic. A swallow who zigged when he should have zagged. Got him with the prop in the 172 and watched him go by the side of the plane. We landed, checked for damage, found none and I went on to solo that day. Fortunately that's been it for me.
 
I hit one a few years ago in a Cub. No damage other than blood stains.

I don't know what kind of bird it was because I never actually saw it. I heard it. In fact, at first I thought I might have grazed the top of a tree. I was right near N69 (a closed airport in Stormville) when it happened, so I landed there to check things out. That's when I found the blood stains on the prop and cowling and realized I'd hit a bird.

-Rich
 
Someone whom I can't remember told me to never fly below birds as some instinctively dive away when they feel frightened. Not sure if there is any truth to it, but I do what I can not to fly below them now.
 
jsstevens said:
I flew less than 50 feet over a bald eagle on a straight in to KORL today (we were on a straight in, not the eagle :) ). Unfortunately my son had already put the camera away.

My primary instructor told me to not try to avoid the birds because they'll miss you. I didn't question it at the time, but there are enough buzzards even up at 4-5 thousand feet that I cringe when they get to close.

John
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This is what happens at 190 knots at 5000 ft! This was over Atlanta, we had just spotted ATC called traffic 1 o'clock and 3 miles. A lot goes through your mind when you hear that thud and feel a jolt!:yikes:

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N747JB said:
This is what happens at 190 knots at 5000 ft! This was over Atlanta, we had just spotted ATC called traffic 1 o'clock and 3 miles. A lot goes through your mind when you hear that thud and feel a jolt!:yikes:

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Holy crap! Birds don't seem to like 402s
 
N747JB said:
This is what happens at 190 knots at 5000 ft! This was over Atlanta, we had just spotted ATC called traffic 1 o'clock and 3 miles. A lot goes through your mind when you hear that thud and feel a jolt!:yikes
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That'll buff right out! :yesnod:

I've never hit a bird, but I have hit two bats. Go figure.
 
I was in an airliner looking out the window on approach when we hit a goose. Big thud and it put a football sized dent in the leading edge of the wing, and left some blood. I told the pilots after we landed and they ID the birds as geese. All i saw was a couple blurs go by
 
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