Damage from bird strike?

A few weeks ago one of our local Warner Springs pilots had a midair with a hawk on the leading edge of his D2 resulting in substantial damage. One can view on Yankee Composite's social media. Question is, how many have suffered damage needing repair after a bird strike, in a glider? Please share your story.

On Sun, 01 Dec 2019 10:04:55 -0800, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:

A few weeks ago one of our local Warner Springs pilots had a midair with
a hawk on the leading edge of his D2 resulting in substantial damage.
One can view on Yankee Composite's social media. Question is, how many
have suffered damage needing repair after a bird strike, in a glider?
Please share your story.

I've not hit one, but twice I've met a smallish raptor (Kestrel or
Buzzard) turning in the opposite direction in a thermal. In both cases I
found the birds relatively hard to see because of their small size. Very
shortly after I saw them, both birds suddenly looked startled look an
instantly closed its wings an plummeted, so I don't think either bird was
looking where it was going. As a result, I won't share a thermal with a
small hawk. I don't think their behaviour is surprising because I don't
remember ever seeing more than one of these small raptors in a thermal.

Gulls are quite different. The few times I've had one or two gulls join
me in a thermal and they've always joined turning the way I was. Like
vultures and kites, they know the rules for sharing thermals and
generally follow them. I have photos of large flocks of vultures and
kites in thermals and all but one or two where flying the same turn, so
that from below it was like looking up through a huge, rotating tube.
Similarly, the only time I've flown with an eagle (at Boulder, CO) it
joined us, formated above and behind our inner tip while it looked us
over.


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org

ASK21 and red tail.
Damage to hawk, write-off.
Damage to ASK21, nil.
Jim

Hopefully someone from Blairstown will post the hawk in the cockpit story.

On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 10:04:57 AM UTC-8, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
A few weeks ago one of our local Warner Springs pilots had a midair with a hawk on the leading edge of his D2 resulting in substantial damage. One can view on Yankee Composite's social media. Question is, how many have suffered damage needing repair after a bird strike, in a glider? Please share your story.

I once was flying down a ridge at Hood River, OR when I noticed something moving in my peripheral vision, I turned my head toward the side and saw what looked like a golden eagle in some sort of backpedal mode maneuvering near my wingtip. It appeared to hit the wingtip and rolled over the top of the wing. I remember distinctly that feathers were folded over the top side and bottom as well, I felt no impact. I turned rapidly to see if I could ID the thing but it apparently dove for the trees below and I never saw it again.

I doubt that I struck the body as they are typically big, heavy birds and I saw no evidence of a direct hit. We often see raptors flying on the ridge during migrations as the route comes through the area. I don't think the eagles have any predators and they aren't afraid of gliders but the hawks are a different story. The hawks seem to always dive away when approached by a glider.

Tim O'Donnell

On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 1:04:57 PM UTC-5, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
...Question is, how many have suffered damage needing repair
after a bird strike, in a glider? Please share your story.

Many years back a partner in our Duo hit a redtail with the Duo's wing.
Top-surface damage required repair.

Well geez Jonathan, no wonder that hawk was mad, you forgot the first rule of gaggle flying, namely turn in the same direction as the guy who got there first! lol

I personally know of at least 3 "eagles in cockpit" incidents, shattered canpies and.

and this tragic event in Spain, 2 finnish pilots deceased due to collision with a 9.5 kg bird:
https://www.fomento.gob.es/recursos_...2011_a_eng.pdf

I guess this proves that bird strike may cause serious damage to a glider.

Aldo Cernezzi

While attempting to fly formation with a golden eagle cruising along the ridge I couldn't get the glider quite slowed to its speed, about 45mph, and "goosed" it with my left wing. It rolled over the top of the wing, recovered and continued it's mission.

Eagles aren't quite as heavy as Griffon vultures but could do similar damage if the collision speed were higher.

A couple videos of these birds: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...3A&FORM=VDQVAP

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...953A&FORM=VIRE

Karl Striedieck

Have seen two examples in the workshop. Both eagles. One took
out the canopy injuring the pilot. Other split the vertical stabilizer
open over a meter leaving 15K worth of damage.

A griffon vulture hit the tip of horizontal tail of DuoDiscus. It ripped it completely off. Sadly the glider was too close to mountain for pilots to open parachutes.

I never felt comfortable thermalling with bigger birds after this accident. Glider has some pretty fragile parts sticking out.