Coyotes Chase Planes LOL!

Sinistar

Sinistar

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Brad
So, grandparents are in town hanging with our daughter. Winds are coming up, around 15G20. I ask the wife is she wants to fly, just us two, shes like: "Hell yeah". She's PIC, the winds dont bother her one bit and i get to fiddle with my Halos. Add in the fact its 60F in Minnesota on Black Friday, awesome. Only one plane on unicom about 30 miles away. Were taxiing for takeoff. Almost all the way down.

Coyote right on runway. Thick winter coat, must admit darned good looking animal :) He's not moving. So we announce a slow taxi down the runway and head down to route him off. Im ready to pull the mixture and shes ready to kill the mags if he runs at us towards the prop. He runs off about 30 yards, turns looks until were past him.....and then he chases us :) He runs after us down the runway, off onto the taxiway turnoff and then behind us as we taxi for takeoff. We look, hes just hanging on the taxiway so we depart.

On the first landing he's beside the runway and bags it as she's crossing the numbers. On the next landing he comes running from about 40yds out and chases us as she does a touch and go. One more chase down on the next landing and then he called it quits and ran off into the trees. I guess they know there are 2 out here, but wont do anything unless there are 3 or more. If they're keeping the deer and geese off more power to em.

I remember my grandpa's dog doing this on the farm road every time we visited. Brought back old memories. Ive sworn off me using a camera in the plane until im signed off so didnt think to bring it with today :(
 
I'd suggest something be done; only because I know that the possible results of airplane vs coyote can be a totaled airplane. (My friend; KELP; several years ago.). And it sounds like this coyote will eventually hit an airplane.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
I'd suggest something be done; only because I know that the possible results of airplane vs coyote can be a totaled airplane. (My friend; KELP; several years ago.). And it sounds like this coyote will eventually hit an airplane.
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Fun aside, I'll be contacting the airport manager to let him know what we saw.
 
In Alaska I have had foxes come up and sit under the wing while unloading/loading. It got to the point I would take treats and throw them towards the foxes. They would pick up the treat and run off.

In Las Cruces I had two coyotes sit on the edge of the runway and watch me while I was taking off. I saw them several times, just hangin' out watching the planes.
 
Back when I was making daily flights into KHNZ, the pack leader of the airport dogs used to run out and try to intercept me at touchdown. I was afraid he was going to run into the prop or something.

Turned out that he was just checking on my payload.

I was in the practice of bringing doggy treats with me each day. Once I had removed the door on my Maule for some open cockpit kicks, I could watch Packleader run after the plane with his nose up in the air. As soon as he determined that the treats were on board he would suddenly lose interest and return to his normal activities knowing that treats would be distributed at the normal time and place.

Are you sure you weren’t hauling a dead moose quarter or something that was attracting the coyotes?


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That's a pup, still young and stupid. See them everyday while riding horses, quite entertaining.
Dave
 
There was a weird occurrence at Hemet-Ryan, in Southern CA years back - either coyotes or wild dogs were eating the fabric off tails of sailplanes based there. . .
 
Last year at KODO the new HondaJet was on demo tour and struck a coyote on takeoff, declared emergency and landed at KMAF. Believe the engine ingested some ‘yote debris.
 
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