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Blue Doughnut

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Blue Doughnut
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I came across this one today. I can't verify, but apparently this happened at Orlando Executive. The gator is said to have lifted his head up as a Navajo was landing, and made contact with a wing. 1x gator KIA.
 
I instructed at ORL for years back in the 80's and 90's and only remember one gator on the airport. Somehow it got into Lake Barton at the approach end of 25 and was sunning itself on the numbers. MCO had a number of gator problems back then until they finally got them trapped and relocated far away. If this gator contacted the wing on landing, I'd have to wonder what kind of landing the Navajo was doing!
 
Gotta love it down here. I almost hit some coyotes in Palatka the other day.. Geesh...
 
That's a biggun! Yep.

About 6' west of midfield runway at KCDK there is an active Gopher Tortoise burrow entrance - have yet to see him "take the active", but suspect it's only a matter of time.
 
old cfi said:
I instructed at ORL for years back in the 80's and 90's and only remember one gator on the airport. Somehow it got into Lake Barton at the approach end of 25 and was sunning itself on the numbers. MCO had a number of gator problems back then until they finally got them trapped and relocated far away. If this gator contacted the wing on landing, I'd have to wonder what kind of landing the Navajo was doing!
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Yeah, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around that one too, but that was the story. Apparently the pilot was an FAA examiner as well!
 
I've flown out of ORL for 13 years and I've never seen one. But I see a heck of a lot more everywhere else these days than I did growing up here. Given the lake at the end of departure end of 7, there's probably more there.
 
Blue Doughnut said:
View attachment 54132


I came across this one today. I can't verify, but apparently this happened at Orlando Executive. The gator is said to have lifted his head up as a Navajo was landing, and made contact with a wing. 1x gator KIA.
Click to expand...

Sorry for the non aviation topic but:

That is a baby compared to the ones that I have seen. The bigger ones are upwards of 30 years old and they can grow 13-15 feet long including the tail. There is one I always visit in the middle of alligator alley (At the gas station) that is about 14 feet long, he is there most of the time because I believe the gas station folks feed him. Here is one that made the news:

 
FloridaPilot said:
Sorry for the non aviation topic but:

That is a baby compared to the ones that I have seen. The bigger ones are upwards of 30 years old and they can grow 13-15 feet long including the tail. There is one I always visit in the middle of alligator alley (At the gas station) that is about 14 feet long, he is there most of the time because I believe the gas station folks feed him. Here is one that made the news:

Click to expand...


That's at Lakeland... it's all sun 'n fun until somebody gets eaten. :D
 
Back in the 80's use to run the boat up the St. Johns to Lake George to a party area. At least 2 times saw one we named George that hung around on the west side of the lake. I had a 19 ft boat and to paraphrase -- "we need a bigger boat!" That suckers head from his snout to his eyes was at least 3 ft. Estimate length to be 17-18 ft. By far the largest gator I ever saw in Florida. Never heard if he was ever taken. Hope not.:(

If there were any in Lake Barton (approach end of 25 at KORL) they would have shown up. Boat dealer said he never saw any.
 
Blue Doughnut said:
View attachment 54132


I came across this one today. I can't verify, but apparently this happened at Orlando Executive. The gator is said to have lifted his head up as a Navajo was landing, and made contact with a wing. 1x gator KIA.
Click to expand...

I have had assorted, deer, foxes, something that looked like a coyote, but it may have been a dog, turtles on the runway when I have landed at various airports in Central Florida. Have not hit any of them, luckily, and have not seen a gator on the runway yet, but it is only a matter of time. I usually try to check the runway on downwind before I commit to land.

Cheers
 
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