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Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:43:28 -0400
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Subject: birds and stalls [lml]
From: lalcorn@natca.net
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Thank you for the response.  You hit on my point exactly.  I am not saying =
one things always happens one way or the other.  Only tying to make some th=
ink about it.=0A=0A"Whatever your views, these debates keep the mind focuss=
ed on the issues, and always benefit participants."=0A=0AThis article is a =
good read for anyone. http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/2005/bird0508=
.html=0A=0AI never said always and read this from the report.=0A=0A"Dolbeer=
 and fellow scientists Carol Washburn and Sandra E. Wright found that at al=
titudes higher than 500 feet, birds would typically dive to avoid an aircra=
ft. Thus, above 500 feet, pilots should expect to fly over birds. Below 500=
 feet, birds exhibit a variety of behaviors including climbing."=0A=0AHow o=
ften are you below 500ft?  Sounds like great guidance to me.=0A=0AThe high =
altitude cruise encounters scare me the most.  Been there, cruising at 200 =
knots and there is no chance to see and avoid, you just see the fleck of bl=
ack zoom by.  I guess I have more experience with the big ones down here in=
 florida, the turkey vultures. They are much easier to see, yet in the clim=
bout in a lancair, very difficult.  A friend of mine hit a 15lb turkey vult=
ure in his 360, on climbout, with the horizontal stab.  MK II tail.  Damage=
d the leading edge, but was able to get it back around and on the ground sa=
fely.  Also saw one come through the prop and top wing on a christen eagle =
and splat on the canopy.  Stuck there all the way to the ground.  Luckly ea=
gle pilots are used to not seeing out of the front to land. Problem was on =
the ground, to open the canopy it rolls to the right and if he would have o=
pened it, the bird would have fallen through the fabric wing.  So he had to=
 sit in the cockpit with a nasty smelling bird dripping into the front seat=
, waiting for someone to take the bird off so he could get out without dama=
ging the plane.  Fun times=0A=0ALuke Alcorn=0A=0A=0A=0A=0AG=E2=80=99day Luk=
e,=0A=0ABeen occupied with other matters so haven=E2=80=99t been able to ke=
ep up with the debate.=0A=0ABirds: It is equally valid to maintain your fli=
ght path as it is to take avoiding action. Birds haven=E2=80=99t read the r=
egs. You can=E2=80=99t accurately predict what they might do. But most of t=
hem won=E2=80=99t keep flying straight into a hazard like an aeroplane. I=
=E2=80=99ve hit =E2=80=98em on many occasions, the last one which bent six =
fan blades of a CFM 56 engine 90 degrees to the plane of rotation after V1.=
 S**t happens. A mate o=E2=80=99 mine was killed after hitting three pelica=
ns in an F-111. Took =E2=80=98em at 450 knots in a low level bombing run on=
 the range and they went through the windshield. He wasn=E2=80=99t close to=
 stalling as he hit the ground inverted after pulling the handle. They know=
 that because the cockpit had started to separate.=0A=0AI believe, me mysel=
f, that you can only take all the reasonable precautions, but there is no w=
ay you can account for every situation. Expect the unexpected.=0A=0AStall p=
ractice =E2=80=93 go ahead and do it if that=E2=80=99s your bent. But stick=
 to the rules. As for circuit speeds, and that appears to be the core of th=
is debate, should not be flown outside ( meaning below), those factors set =
in the regs. That means 1.4 Vsi for manoeuvring, and 1.3 Vso for approach. =
Now, the Lancair POH states speeds associated with these and other manoeuvr=
es. Even Lancair have stated in the POH that the Flap down approach speed i=
s 86.89762 KIAS.=0A=0AWhatever your views, these debates keep the mind focu=
ssed on the issues, and always benefit participants.=0A=0ACheers=0A=0ADom C=
rain=0A=0AVH-CZJ