Hunting Buzzards with Charlene

N747JB

N747JB

Final Approach
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
6,275
Location
Atlanta
Display Name
Display name:
John
Yesterday I was flying from FTY to AHN, about 1:00 PM, good VFR, on an IFR flight plan. My 16 year old was operating the radios in Charlene (our 421) when ATC gives us traffic 1 o'clock 3-4 miles at 5500 ft, we were at 5000. We spot the traffic and resume our chit-chat, about 15 seconds later BOOM!! :hairraise: A large black bird literally explodes on the nose of the airplane and goes down the left side. :yikes: I disconnected the A/P and the airplane flew fine, I asked if Thomas wanted to call approach and tell them what happened, he declined. ;) We diverted to CNI, Cherokee county, to have S&S aviation look at it since they do all my work and if I was grounded I wanted to be grounded where it was going to be fixed. ;)
Long story, short, it appears to be just the baggage door and a small bend in the support behind it. No one was hurt expect the bird, RIP. :D
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Ouch, looks like about the best possible outcome you could have if you were going to hit a bird.
 
Mooney Ducks... Cessna Buzzards.....

Guess we need Ron Levy or Anthony to bag a goose to get the hat trick.


(fyi; photo link no workie on my side)
 
the thread on the duck is still one of my favorites
 
there was one on here as well I think it was a 172 or 182 that got a duck in the leading edge on the duck was still there for the pics
 
Scene: me doing solo touch and gos at KBDR during my primary training. 5 other planes in the pattern. Heard on the radio: "Tower, Nxxxx reporting a bird strike, a seagull." Tower responds: "Do you need any assistance?" Nxxxx: "No. You might ask the Gull, though....." :rofl:

-Skip
 
John,

No problemo. Just get one of the detail guys at the shop to run by the airport and clean the seats.

Wayne
 
Man, you lucked out there. One foot higher and it would've cost a $25,000 or so windshield... assuming it didn't go through and hit you in the head. Scary.

Glad the outcome was as benign as it was!
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Man, you lucked out there. One foot higher and it would've cost a $25,000 or so windshield... assuming it didn't go through and hit you in the head. Scary.

Glad the outcome was as benign as it was!
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IIRC from the red board, John (or his insurance co) has already paid for one of those. On a different plane, right?
 
rpadula said:
IIRC from the red board, John (or his insurance co) has already paid for one of those. On a different plane, right?
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I suppose if I had a bird strike it'd be an in-motion damage, and the insurance company would be paying for it, minus my deductible. But I'd rather not have the buzzard potentially coming through the windshield at my face! :)
 
Well, John.... while you're doing the paint... don't forget to paint your 'brag stamp" under your left window....

flying-tigers-wannabe-21381280.jpg


Four more and you'll be a buzzard-ace
 
rpadula said:
IIRC from the red board, John (or his insurance co) has already paid for one of those. On a different plane, right?
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Yes, my 414 a few years ago, windshield cracked in flight, no evidence of a bird strike, it just cracked.:yikes: At 16,000 feet, that's a pee your pants moment!:eek: insurance did pay that one, no questions asked, I didn't think they would cover it, but they did!:goofy:
 
N747JB said:
Yes, my 414 a few years ago, windshield cracked in flight, no evidence of a bird strike, it just cracked.:yikes: At 16,000 feet, that's a pee your pants moment!:eek: insurance did pay that one, no questions asked, I didn't think they would cover it, but they did!:goofy:
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That's interesting. I wouldn't have asked too many questions either, but I'd be curious why they covered it since that. Seems like that's just wear-and-tear unless it was hit by a bird or a sledgehammer.

We had to replace the windshield on the Commander a month or so ago (that one's $50,000). I wonder if the insurance would have covered it...

Oh well, not my bill! :D
 
AggieMike88 said:
Mooney Ducks... Cessna Buzzards.....

Guess we need Ron Levy or Anthony to bag a goose to get the hat trick.
Click to expand...


That's the nice thing about Grummans. We are well armed to shoot down the avion offenders before they hit us. :D

BTW, those photos make me want to say....OUCH!

Glad it wasn't worse.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
That's interesting. I wouldn't have asked too many questions either, but I'd be curious why they covered it since that. Seems like that's just wear-and-tear unless it was hit by a bird or a sledgehammer.

We had to replace the windshield on the Commander a month or so ago (that one's $50,000). I wonder if the insurance would have covered it...

Oh well, not my bill! :D
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Ted, I honestly had no intention of filing a claim on the 414 windshield until a buddy of mine mentioned it. I called my agent, he filed a claim and I met with the adjuster a couple days later. I was VERY honest, it would have been easy to say it was a bird strike or a rock on the ground that hit it. But, I told him exactly what happened, I was in cruise at 16,000 feet in VFR conditions and a friend riding in the right seat said, "Your windshield's cracked!" I decended to 6000, flew on to NEW and landed. On the way home the outer layer (plastic w/s) blew off. The insurance company paid the bill with no questions asked! :D
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N747JB said:
Ted, I honestly had no intention of filing a claim on the 414 windshield until a buddy of mine mentioned it. I called my agent, he filed a claim and I met with the adjuster a couple days later. I was VERY honest, it would have been easy to say it was a bird strike or a rock on the ground that hit it. But, I told him exactly what happened, I was in cruise at 16,000 feet in VFR conditions and a friend riding in the right seat said, "Your windshield's cracked!" I decended to 6000, flew on to NEW and landed. On the way home the outer layer (plastic w/s) blew off. The insurance company paid the bill with no questions asked! :D
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I hope I didn't imply you were anything but honest with the insurance company. This is a very positive thing to know, and something to remember. If nothing else, they may have chosen to pay for it because of your honesty since you could've lied about it and they would've had to pay anyway. Although perhaps I'm having too much faith in insurance companies. ;)

Your experience sounds similar to when the Commander's windshield cracked.
 
No, I didn't think you implied anything, I was actually very pleasantly surprised that they paid it, so was my agent. It would have been pretty easy to kill a bird and rub some feathers and blood on the w/s. But, I figure if I ever to jail, it ain't gonna be over a $25K insurance claim. :D
And the windshield NEEDED to be replaced before it cracked, it was crazed pretty bad, I paid to have the right side done at the same time.

Ted DuPuis said:
I hope I didn't imply you were anything but honest with the insurance company. This is a very positive thing to know, and something to remember. If nothing else, they may have chosen to pay for it because of your honesty since you could've lied about it and they would've had to pay anyway. Although perhaps I'm having too much faith in insurance companies. ;)

Your experience sounds similar to when the Commander's windshield cracked.
Click to expand...
 
N747JB said:
No, I didn't think you implied anything, I was actually very pleasantly surprised that they paid it, so was my agent. It would have been pretty easy to kill a bird and rub some feathers and blood on the w/s. But, I figure if I ever to jail, it ain't gonna be over a $25K insurance claim. :D
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It's good to hear that there is good customer service in the insurance world still. I've never had to make a claim with my company, and hope to never need to. That said, if I did I'd expect good service, my agent certainly has been good to me. But, it's good to know that pressurized windshields might be covered!

And the windshield NEEDED to be replaced before it cracked, it was crazed pretty bad, I paid to have the right side done at the same time.
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I think this is something that's pretty typical on these older pressurized twins. The windshields, since they are so expensive, don't get replaced as often as non-pressurized windshields that are significantly cheaper. Then they crack due to age, etc., and that forces the issue.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
I think this is something that's pretty typical on these older pressurized twins. The windshields, since they are so expensive, don't get replaced as often as non-pressurized windshields that are significantly cheaper. Then they crack due to age, etc., and that forces the issue.
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And the old Cessna windshields are plastic and the replacements are glass, you also have to change the switch and it goes from AC to DC or DC to AC, I don't remember, but the wiring has to be changed. It's pretty close to $25K all in for just the heated one, add the co-pilot's side and you can get over $30K pretty quick. :yikes::yikes:
 
N747JB said:
No, I didn't think you implied anything, I was actually very pleasantly surprised that they paid it, so was my agent. It would have been pretty easy to kill a bird and rub some feathers and blood on the w/s. But, I figure if I ever to jail, it ain't gonna be over a $25K insurance claim. :D
And the windshield NEEDED to be replaced before it cracked, it was crazed pretty bad, I paid to have the right side done at the same time.
Click to expand...


I'll let you in on a little secret, the adjuster wants to write you a check. Under the terms I had for example if I would have showed up and issued a denial, I'd get $150 + expenses. I write you $25,000 I'd get $1700+/- a few dollars + expenses.

BTW, that hit on Charlene had to be loud as, I'm surprised you didn't get some prop action splatter out of it as well, glad at least you guys are alright.
 
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Henning said:
I'll let you in on a little secret, the adjuster wants to write you a check. Under the terms I had for example if I would have showed up and issued a denial, I'd get $150 + expenses. I write you $25,000 I'd get $1700+/- a few dollars + expenses.
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That's similar to what I've been told. ;)
 
Speaking of large birds aloft, is it me, or are there more to dodge now than before? Especially at altitude. I don't remember seeing so many birds back in the mid 90's when I started flying.
 
We fly (the pilot flies) the helicopter an average 500-1000 feet AGL and we are constanly dodging buzzards and one time a mylar balloon. I hate to think what the balloon and its trailing string would have done to the rotor blades.
 
rpadula said:
Speaking of large birds aloft, is it me, or are there more to dodge now than before? Especially at altitude. I don't remember seeing so many birds back in the mid 90's when I started flying.
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It is probably because we can no longer fly low over bird nesting areas and scare the little buzzards to death before they can fly. What is that about the Law of Unintended Consequences? :idea:
 
flightmedic said:
We fly (the pilot flies) the helicopter an average 500-1000 feet AGL and we are constanly dodging buzzards and one time a mylar balloon. I hate to think what the balloon and its trailing string would have done to the rotor blades.
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I had my first Mylar balloon encounter this year. Passenger said, "traffic", and I saw it go by less than 25' away under the right wing. Was kinda eerie.
 
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