Vultures...correct last second maneuver?

P51P28

P51P28

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Hi all, hope all is well. Curious to know what the correct maneuver is when you're are about to encounter a three/four pack of vultures in the direct path of your windshield? I vaguely remember a friend telling me to pull up ASAP because birds can't "climb" per se when they're gliding? In the south, specifically Georgia, its quite common that we share the sky with these high altitude fliers. Appreciate the feedback.
 
Yep, I believe buzzards will tuck their wings and dive as a response to danger. It doesn't even matter if the trouble is below them. They get spooked and they dive. Probably worked for millions of years, but that was before airplanes.

I always tell people to dodge them laterally, don't try to fly under them.
 
Yeah...they can seriously ruin the day. On the way home today at 3500 and if I was 50ft to the left, I would have been looking for a field. :cool:
 
P51P28 said:
Yeah...they can seriously ruin the day. On the way home today at 3500 and if I was 50ft to the left, I would have been looking for a field. :cool:
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I've had countless close calls with buzzards. They're a bigger hazard than aircraft here in Georgia. FAA needs to require buzzards to carry transponders.
 
write-stuff said:
I've had countless close calls with buzzards. They're a bigger hazard than aircraft here in Georgia. FAA needs to require buzzards to carry transponders.Is that a
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Is that an airplane or? I mean...its a real thing down here yonder.
 
Plus you can climb much faster(fpm) than you can dive, plus you are slowing down.
 
My solo cross country I had a bald eagle dead to rights. Made a climbing left turn. No bloodshed.
 
Canada geese too. One thing all birds seem to have in common is that their startle response is to dive. Makes sense, since they can accelerate at nearly 1G that way, which they can't do in any other direction.
Always fly above them or well to the side, never under them.
 
I think most birds will tuck wings and descend if they fear a collision. The exception is eagles. They think they own the sky and they do not alter course for you.
 
Gilbert Buettner said:
I think most birds will tuck wings and descend if they fear a collision. The exception is eagles. They think they own the sky and they do not alter course for you.
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I had a bald eagle tuck it's wings and dive under us once, both my instructor and I were crouching down as best we could to be shielded by the cowling and instrument cluster though... The eagle folded it's wings at what felt like 30-50' in front of the prop and dropped beneath us safely. Up until that point it felt like we were playing a game of chicken on the road.
 
Just a few weeks ago, a bald eagle flew right in front of me while in the downwind while doing some pattern work. Idk if it was the right move, but I advised tower in case there was anyone else in the pattern shortly behind me.
 
I have met a Golden Eagle at 500 feet, Bald Eagles at less than 1,000 feet, and they all dived away.

I met a red tail hawk at 8,500 feet, we passed within about 300 feet, it held its altitude.

Dozens of buzzards at modest altitudes, and pulling up is the only safe move. My wife said one buzzard that passed under her side had red eyes, head tilted to look up at us.
 
Correct maneuver is to tuck head down.
(probably done quicker & more effectively than any airplane motion)
And the maneuver before that is to wear some type of eyewear, preferably impact-resistant.
 
Up and left, just because birds of note always seem to go down and right for me.
 
It also depends on what you're doing at the time of encounter IMHO. For example, if you're doing maneuvers at 2500 AGL, then pull up in a way that doesn't stall or overstress. If you're on final going low and slow, I'd say don't pull up or do any other abrupt maneuver for fear of stall/spin. I'd rather take the hit.
 
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