Flying ducks

[evapilotaz]

So I was out at the local park this morning with a duck pond. I was watching ducks takeoff and landing and doing some pattern work. I couldn’t help notice how streamline they looked while flying legs nicely tucked in a retracted gear position. How do they know to remind themselves to drop the gear prior to landing? Do they use gumps? How about when they do water landings? how they remember to land without the Gear down. I did not see any landing mistakes. I think way too much about this stuff LOL

 

[Kenny Phillips]

So I was out at the local park this morning with a duck pond. I was watching ducks takeoff and landing and doing some pattern work. I couldn’t help notice how streamline they looked while flying legs and nicely tucked in a retracted gear position. How do they know to remind themselves to drop the gear prior to landing. Do they use gumps? How about when they do water landings how they remember to not then with the Gear down. I did not see any landing mistakes. I think way too much about this stuff LOL

I think every pilot (every good pilot) watches what birds do. I'm fascinated by huge flocks migrating (they seem to use some of my trees as a stopping point; amazingly loud.) They never hit each other—which has been studied for use with autonomous formation flying.

 

[donjohnston]

All the ducks I’m familiar with land gear down whether on land or water.

I’m sure it’s a muscle memory thing similar to how we will put out arm out when falling going for the brake pedal when something jumps in front of us while driving.

 

[Clip4]

How do you remember to put you legs and feet down before getting out of bed?

 

[Unkljohn]

Ducks always land gear down.

 

[1RTK1]

Nothing like sitting in a blind having the ducks work the decoys then dropping their gear when they commit.

 

[Bobanna]

Nothing like sitting in a blind having the ducks work the decoys then dropping their gear when they commit.

...then, you kill them.

 

[hindsight2020]

...then, you kill them.

...lol you're speaking the quiet parts out loud now. "Bird watching"...

 

[Half Fast]

I hate birds.

Damn things can land on a freakin’ wire. I have trouble landing within 200’ of a chosen mark.

I hate birds.

 

[LongRoadBob]

I always find something fishy about ducks, there I said it.
I mean the whole “south for the winter” thing. Something doesn’t add up.
At our cabin on the lake, or the small lake by our home in a park, whenever I see ducks they never are flying. They sometimes get away from dogs, or just skim the water, and then land again and swim around.
So winter comes, and they, having not trained all all the warm months, suddenly pick up and do a XC run for thousands of miles?
Would be like me deciding suddenly at the onset of winter of running from Chicago to New Orleans. (Actually for me, like running from Oslo to Bergen, after laying around all summer)
I imagine them after first leg, all gathering and quakiing about how sore they are.

 

[1RTK1]

...then, you kill them.

Then, you eat them.

 

[AKBill]

Then, you eat them.

Ducks in SE AK taste like fish, not good eating....

 

[NoHeat]

I hate birds.

Damn things can land on a freakin’ wire.

What's their stall speed? Less than 1 mph? You could land on a wire, too, if you could land that slowly.

 

[LongRoadBob]

Ducks in SE AK taste like fish, not good eating....

yup..like I said, something fishy about ducks!

 

[FORANE]

http://pixdaus.com/files/items/pics/3/34/721334_bb1631945a41861d6061db234fb15a43_large.jpg

 

[Skip Miller]

What's their stall speed? Less than 1 mph? You could land on a wire, too, if you could land that slowly.

i'd end up beneath the wire hanging on by my toes! How do they get a grip on a length of wire?

 

[DesertNomad]

How do you remember to put you legs and feet down before getting out of bed?

Sometimes I don't.