Has anyone ever hit a bird?

[Andy_Copland 0]

I was under canopy one nice warm summer crusing across the sky when i was looking around for other canopies. I saw something odd coming at me, to this day i regret not attempting to catch it as it would have been fucking hilarious landing with it. But at the times i was so confused i kept my distance.

It was a kids helium balloon

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[champu 1]

Red-tailed Hawks are pretty common in soCal and I see them a lot under canopy at Elsinore. I'd be willing to bet they saw me first every time though. They'd keep pace a few canopy widths off to the side.

They liked to play around more when I had a bigger canopy and stayed up longer. I don't think they're as interested in following something if it's headed for the ground too quickly.

[godfrog 2]

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My whuffo friends keep asking "what if you hit a bird?"

Got me wondering, has anyone ever hit a bird in free fall or under canopy?

I myself have come pretty close to one or 2 under canopy.

if you do hit a bird are you gonna change your user name to chicken-salad

Experience is a difficult teacher, she gives you the test first and the lesson afterward

[Tuna-Salad 0]

Negative. Tuna Salad has been used by me for atleast 10 years. Cannot change.

Millions of my potential children died on your daughters' face last night.

[Lastchance 0]

I've never hit one but have had a Red tailed Hawk follow me under canopy for a solid 2 minutes one time. He was probably wondering what the hell I was doing up there. But I did have a bird almost take me off my Harley once. That hurt.

Are you related to Tater Salad?

I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands.

[FB1609 0]

Never hit one but hawks used to fly with me under canopy alot in zhills.

[hookitt 0]

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But I did have a bird almost take me off my Harley once. That hurt.

hahaha... I had one hit my helmet going about 70. Gave me a headache!

I've flown under canopy with several hawks but haven't hit any.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[brianfry713 0]

I saw a balloon once under canopy and steered towards it, not sure what it was. As I got closer I could see it was a balloon and flew right into it, hitting it with my left hand which was in the toggle. Catching it would be difficult, but it was fun manuvering to hit it.

BASE 1224, Senior Parachute Rigger, CPL ASEL IA, AGI, IGI
USPA Coach & UPT Tandem Instructor, PRO, Altimaster Field Support Representative

[pirana 0]

You won't find many birds at freefall altitude. As all the mentions above can attest, not a rarity at all under canopy.

Most birds have no need to go more than a few hundred feet up, so doing so is a waste of energy.

The biggest exception is hunting birds on the prowl.

We have tossed bugs out of the plane at full altitude. Wonder how long it took them to get all the way back to the ground?

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[fergs 0]

I had a "meeting" with an eagle at around 4,000’ in freefall at the bottom end of a solo wingsuit flight. The jump pilot had seen it soaring all day at 4 or 5 thousand feet in the same area. Here’s what happened:

• It was prior to deploying after a solo flight in an S-3 wingsuit. My usual wingsuit deployment sequence has me carve a big S-curve as I set up, deploy and then ride the deploying canopy.
• At the earliest past of the S-curve, a shadow appeared across my face from my left– so fast that it was difficult to actually make out any shape. Immediately I had the sensation that I’d been head-butted, or punched in the face.
• I was stunned and really had no idea what had just happened. But I knew that I needed to get some nylon above me, so I stabilized as best I could and deployed.
• After opening, I was still somewhat stunned and unable to absorb what had just happened. Then I felt blood on my face, bridge of nose and coming from a gash against my eye.
• After landing, I walked back to the club house. Everyone looked at me and asked what the heck happened. My immediate reply was, “you should see the other guy”
• In front of a mirror, I saw the damage to my face. Under the flap of skin that was the gash by my left eye was a little piece of bone – not mine.
• The rubber in my goggles had chunks ripped out, corresponding exactly with the wounds.
• The pilot then landed and told us all about the eagle he’d seen all day – and right in the air space that my wingsuit flight had been.

So what was it? Either a random convergence of two bodies in flight – or it was the eagle flocking with me – behind to my left and slightly below? Then was he was surprised by my sudden change in flight angle as I started my deployment S-curve and momentarily flared right next to me?Did this sit up and flare then put his right wing across my face from my left?

Thesecond scenario is indeed a possibility, as we know that birds of prey can indeed fly alongside wingsuit skydivers – and we’ve seen the vids of this with base jumpers feeding meat to kestrels in flight. We also know, especially from helicopter pilots that eagles often flock with choppers – and if the chopper makes a sudden change in attitude or speed, the eagle instantly suits up and flares whilst it waits to see what happens next.

So visualize all of that with the eagle possibly watching me coming (and hearing me), then tucks in behind me and simply flocks along with me.

What hit me? From what I saw as well as the "minimal damage" to my face, I deduce it was his right wing only. This is further evidenced by the little piece of bone under the gash wound by my eye. I believe that this was the end of one of the little “fingers” at the end of the wing.

So there you have it – my eagle story. Wingsuit flight rocks – so said the eagle!!!

Oh, as a postscript, I sadly believe that the eagle must surely have been a total loss – that he surely could not have survived. However, the same chopper pilots tell me they’ve seen eagles they’ve hit spin down seemingly totally out of control – but then recover and fly off to recover. Hmmm, who knows?

Fergs
BMCI-8

[airathanas 0]

There was some lady (no I don't know her name) who was attacked by a bird of prey while paragliding. Don't know the details but I read an article about it in Reader's Digest a year or so back.

http://3ringnecklace.com/

[sagan 0]

Davis had a hawk this spring/summer that snapped at PC's on final. (The treeline where the bird lived was often the base leg when landing (south?) i think it was and the hawk had babies )

Apparently it tore into a canopy or two and also did some damage to someone on the ground after landing.

-Patrick

[mr2mk1g 10]

There's a pic and story somewhere on here of a small bird, (say sparrow or smaller sized), stuck half way through the visor of full face helmet.

[potatoman 0]

Years back a follow skydiver struck a grasshopper, on his chest just before deployment. It left an ugly blue/green/yellow mark.
Sadly, the grasshopper didn't make it.

On my bike I struck a little bird, possibly about 50mph. Bounced off my chest, and up into my helmet, between the visor and me face. Had to work the breaks, since I was blinded by this.

You have the right to your opinion, and I have the right to tell you how Fu***** stupid it is.
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Whatever you do, don't listen to ChrisD.

[EvilEagle 0]

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You won't find many birds at freefall altitude.

I've been shocked to see birds in the high teens (18-19k MSL) when flying at work. It's rare, but they do get up there. As stated, mostly BOP.

[pashakiev 0]

Less Bitching / More Jumping..... Please?