"Jase Vanover" wrote in message news:3%She.467
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I googled for other bird strike stories

You did fine. In a perfect world, you probably should have just landed, but
you and your instructor could see the impact point and most of the results;
would take a hell of a bird to damage the strut on a cessna.

When I was flying commuter c402s I was landing in New Bedford one day, just
about in the flare, when a whole flock of gulls crossed me in flight. Never
saw them coming. The hits sounded like hammer blows - 7 or 8 as I recall.
A few off the nose and windscreen, just bounces, but 5 along the right
leading edge. Looked like someone had taken a sledge to it. Had to replace
the whole edge skin. Got a note from the owner trying to tell me that
birdstrikes are pilot error. I still have the note.

Another day a friend of mine at the same carrier was taking off in a
Bandierante when he caught a gull right on the nose. Damn thing slid up the
nose and caught itself on the left side windshield wiper. Had to fly all
the way to LGA looking at that mess.