Bird Accident?

[Jeff.Donohue 0]

Here's today's stupid question:

A non-skydiver friend of mine asked the following:

"Has there ever been a bird-on-skydiver or (from the bird's point of view) a skydiver-on-bird accident? I don't mean anything fatal (necessarily), but a case of a skydiver or her canopy in flight colliding with a bird in flight, even if the result was just a really startled skydiver and/or bird... You hear about bird/plane collisions, so..."

My instant reaction is that it would be highly unlikely, but after watching one of the Mr. Bills on skydivingmovies.com, I've concluded that (a) anything's possible in this sport; and (b) if it did happen. someone would have a great story about it...

So could you all humor a newbie and his friend on this one? Strangely, the SIM has nothing on it.

/not advocating that anyone try this, of couse (or Mr. Bills, for what it's worth -- that's got to be industrial strength crazy...)

- Jeff

[justinb138 0]

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Here's today's stupid question:

A non-skydiver friend of mine asked the following:

"Has there ever been a bird-on-skydiver or (from the bird's point of view) a skydiver-on-bird accident? I don't mean anything fatal (necessarily), but a case of a skydiver or her canopy in flight colliding with a bird in flight, even if the result was just a really startled skydiver and/or bird... You hear about bird/plane collisions, so..."

My instant reaction is that it would be highly unlikely, but after watching one of the Mr. Bills on skydivingmovies.com, I've concluded that (a) anything's possible in this sport; and (b) if it did happen. someone would have a great story about it...

So could you all humor a newbie and his friend on this one? Strangely, the SIM has nothing on it.

/not advocating that anyone try this, of couse (or Mr. Bills, for what it's worth -- that's got to be industrial strength crazy...)

- Jeff

I remember reading a thread on here about a bird getting caught in a BASE canopy, but nothing about a collision with a skydiver.

[hongkongluna 0]

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=695183;search_string=bird;#695183

do a search for bird strike & there are a few. the link above has a reply w/ pics of a small bird embedded in someone's visor!!!

-Rainier

Sparks Brother #1 // "I vaguely heard someone yell "wait!" but by that point i was out the door." Quote from dz.com somewhere

[huka551 0]

I can't even remember even ever seeing a bird in freefall or under canopy. I don't think birds spend that much time in flight to where they would be around long enough for a meat bomb to interfere with their daily routine. JMO

Muff Brother 3723

[justinb138 0]

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I can't even remember even ever seeing a bird in freefall or under canopy. I don't think birds spend that much time in flight to where they would be around long enough for a meat bomb to interfere with their daily routine. JMO

Well, most birds won't be high enough to hit while in freefall.

[mark 107]

I've never seen a bird while I've been in freefall, but I have seen red-tail hawks in the same thermal I was soaring in at five or six thousand feet. I don't think they hunt from that altitude -- I'd rather believe they were there for the same reason I was: enjoying effortless, solar-powered flight.

Mark

[kelpdiver 2]

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I can't even remember even ever seeing a bird in freefall or under canopy. I don't think birds spend that much time in flight to where they would be around long enough for a meat bomb to interfere with their daily routine. JMO

That may just be a matter of geography. Definitely see raptors riding thermals near a couple of the DZs in California. The same open fields that we favor as LZs are rodent heavens as well. How high is a question, but I recall 3rd hand tales of some birds getting territorial with canopy fliers.

[Faicon9493 141]

I remember one day when I did a high hop & pop to cool off. A bird flew by my canopy when I was at 11,000 feet.

[flypunk 0]

we actually saw several flocks of birds going somewhere between 3000-3500 feet last weekend in San Marcos, while we were climbing.

we were all thinking that it must suck to hit one. They didnt stick around that long.

...

[billvon 2,998]

>Well, most birds won't be high enough to hit while in freefall.Wink

Birds have hit aircraft as high as 37,000 feet. There have been a few skydiver/bird collisions, but fortunately the big sky/little bird thing works well too.

[justinb138 0]

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>Well, most birds won't be high enough to hit while in freefall.Wink

Birds have hit aircraft as high as 37,000 feet. There have been a few skydiver/bird collisions, but fortunately the big sky/little bird thing works well too.

Yep, the griffon vulture.... Evil-looking bird...

[piisfish 140]

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a case of a skydiver or her canopy in flight colliding with a bird in flight,

ask Jeffro Provenzano...
He had right of way, bird was coming from the left

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[TFFTM 1]

There was a video years ago.
It showed a skydiver pitch out and a bird (Hawk?) grabbed his hackey and held on for several hundred feet. It created a PC-Bird in tow malfunction, until the bird let go.

I saw this video on one of those "You gotto see this" type shows.

If anybody has got a copy of this, I would love to add it to my archives.

BSBD
Home of the Alabama Gang

[justinb138 0]

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It created a PC-Bird in tow malfunction, until the bird let go.

Is that type of mal covered in the SIM?

[Andy9o8 2]

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It created a PC-Bird in tow malfunction, until the bird let go.

Is that type of mal covered in the SIM?

Yes. SIM 23.22.87(a)(3)(ii) states:

Interference from birds.
Certain species of birds, especially raptors, can mistake the throw-out pilot chute for rodents or other prey. Some hackeys do look like gerbils. If a bird captures your pilot chute, creating a bird-pilot chute in tow, assume the track position to intimidate the bird into thinking you are the superior avian. He should drop the pilot chute. If that fails, treat this situation as a high-speed malfunction. Note: never use a hook knife on a bird if you suspect it is an endangered species.

[goose491 0]

That's funny AND disconcerting...


I saw video on one of those shows of a guy freefalling with what I think I remember to be a falcon. Sometimes, the bird would fly on it's own, keeping track of the plane and finding it's master, flying around him under canopy.

But the craziest footage was when he was in freefall (belly) and launched a tiny little weight out in front of him. It had little feathers to keep it stable. This bird darts in in this tucked-dive and grabs it out of the air right in front of him!

I'd love to get my hands on that footage too if anyone has it.

My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

[NWPoul 1]

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That's funny AND disconcerting...


I saw video on one of those shows of a guy freefalling with what I think I remember to be a falcon. Sometimes, the bird would fly on it's own, keeping track of the plane and finding it's master, flying around him under canopy.

But the craziest footage was when he was in freefall (belly) and launched a tiny little weight out in front of him. It had little feathers to keep it stable. This bird darts in in this tucked-dive and grabs it out of the air right in front of him!

I'd love to get my hands on that footage too if anyone has it.

Yep, "Willing to fly" (Norman Kent) is a great video...

Why drink and drive, if you can smoke and fly?

[tso-d_chris 0]

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I'd love to get my hands on that footage too if anyone has it

I still have a few copies.

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