Yep, I hit what we think was a red tailed hawk at 3000 ft in a C182, right
in the windshield at 140 kts. Sounded like a shotgun went off inside the
cabin. Saw the bird about a nano-second before the BOOM. Didn't leave a
scratch on the plane, but guts were smeared up over the cabin roof and a few
fine feathers were jambed up between the windshield and the cabin roof. The
angle of the windshield of the 182 was pretty shallow and the bird hit up
near the top.

Also, in an Archer, I injested a small sparrow type bird into the air intake
on take off. Never knew it until after I landed and was taking a student
through a pre-flight lesson.

One other occassion I came close to hitting a pair of sandhill cranes while
practicing maneuvers. I'd guess they came within about 10 feet of the
wingtip, I could see their eyes easy enough, then watched them tumble away
from me as I flew past them.

Jim

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:rVHbf.520936$x96.436058@attbi_s72...
Paraphrased from Sport Aviation this month:

Hitting a Canada Goose exerts the same force as dropping a 1000 pound
weight
10 feet.

Yikes! That would make mince-meat out of ANY GA aircraft.

We've got large flocks of (what appear to be) sea gulls congregating on
our
field over the last few weeks. At this time of year we also get flocks of
migratory birds (ducks and geese) stopping over, too. The place looks
like
a bird sanctuary.

I've come very close to hitting birds, but (knock on a burnt-orange Cessna
dashboard) thus far have gotten away clean. Last night, while landing in
the last glint of twilight, I saw a very large bird go zinging past me
while
on short final. There was nothing I could do but cringe...

Anyone ever hit a bird? Anyone got a good bird avoidance plan they'd care
to share?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"