{"id":2567,"date":"2017-11-13T23:58:39","date_gmt":"2017-11-14T04:58:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/doctoraviation.com\/?p=2567"},"modified":"2017-11-14T17:12:21","modified_gmt":"2017-11-14T22:12:21","slug":"record-bird-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doctoraviation.com\/record-bird-strike\/","title":{"rendered":"My \u201cRecord\u201d Bird Strike"},"content":{"rendered":"

In my previous blog, I explained the ins and outs of a bird strike (see:\u00a0https:\/\/doctoraviation.com\/bird-strikes-and-the-oklahoma-city-thunder\/ ) At the end of that blog I alluded to a flying story where I set a \u201crecord\u201d for bird strikes.\u00a0 It went down as follows.<\/p>\n

It was a beautiful early Fall afternoon \u2013 sunny and about 75 degrees.\u00a0 It was a routine mission for pilot proficiency.\u00a0 We departed from Wright Patterson AFB enroute to Fort Campbell, KY, home of the 101st Airborne and many Black Hawk helicopters.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

At the time I was in the 4950th<\/sup> Test Wing.\u00a0 I was in the left seat of the NKC-135 ARIA (Advance Range Instrumentation Aircraft).\u00a0 One of these jets can now be viewed at the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson.\u00a0 In the right seat was a very capable pilot named Eddie.\u00a0 Eddie was a test pilot who had come to the unit the previous year or two from Edwards AFB.\u00a0 Eddie was a good pilot and a good training companion on this \u201croutine\u201d mission.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t remember the Flight Engineer\u2019s name, but I can still see his face \u2013 he, like all the flight crew members in this unit was very competent.\u00a0 I don\u2019t make that statement in a boastful way; it was simply the result of the process.\u00a0 One did not get into the 4950th<\/sup> Test Wing as a \u201cnewbie\u201d.\u00a0 Aviators were selected from other flying units through an application and vetting process.\u00a0 One had to have an established record and be recommended by someone already in the unit.\u00a0 I myself had been flying the ARIA for a little over two years.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Normally we would be involved in some sort of testing or telemetry gathering mission. Either for Air Material Command or working in conjunction with NASA helping to track a rocket launch.\u00a0 However, today we were headed down to practice some touch and go\u2019s at Ft. Campbell.\u00a0 Touch and go\u2019s improve pilot proficiency; Ft. Campbell was a lightly trafficked airstrip, making it idea for maximizing our training time.<\/p>\n

Touch and go\u2019s are when an aircraft comes in for a landing, but instead of performing a full stop, the airplane touches down, gets all the landing gear on the runway and then pushes up the power and takeoffs off again.\u00a0 In this manner a pilot can practice numerous takeoff and landings in minimum time.\u00a0 Pilots generally enjoyed these exercises as they demand some of your best flying skill and the challenge of landing precisely on center line, in a beautiful flare at an airspeed just above stall, totally exhilarating.\u00a0 In short, it is a lot of fun.<\/p>\n

This day, thus far, did not disappoint — Sunny skies, calm winds all the way down.\u00a0 Beautiful deciduous trees lined horse pastures and meadows.\u00a0 The bluegrass in Kentucky exhibited its full glory that sunny afternoon.<\/p>\n

After several touch and go\u2019s, alternating between Eddie and myself, I was to take the last one and we would head back.\u00a0 That is when the drama began.<\/p>\n

In the 135, like every aircraft, there is a decision point where a pilot decides to abort the takeoff or continue the takeoff.\u00a0 In the 135 we had a procedure, \u201cStand em up, push em up\u201d.\u00a0 Translation: we landed on the touch and go at idle power (the throttles were all the way back as far as they could go).\u00a0\u00a0 Once we settled all the gear on the runway, we would push the four throttles forward until they were perpendicular to the runway (= \u201cstand em up\u201d).\u00a0 The Fight Engineer would then scan the gauges, if all engines were burning normally, he would call, \u201cpush em up\u201d.\u00a0 That was the signal to move the four throttles forward to the takeoff power setting.<\/p>\n

Once we \u201cpushed em up\u201d, we were committed for takeoff.<\/p>\n

On the last touch and go, I had a beauty.\u00a0 Just a fraction to the left of centerline. On touchdown speed.\u00a0 I settled the nose gear to the pavement.\u00a0 \u201cStand em up\u201d, was the call.\u00a0 The four throttles were advanced.\u00a0 The engines looked good.\u00a0 \u201cPush em up\u201d was followed by my right hand smoothly, but surely, advancing the four throttles.<\/p>\n

After a quick check of the engine gauges, my eyes moved upward and out the windscreen, fixed to the end of the runway.\u00a0 That is when my stomach fell.<\/p>\n

Little black specks littered the end of the runway.<\/p>\n

The black specks were one of my worst fears.<\/p>\n

A flock of birds.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

I don\u2019t know if they were sparrows or swallows, but I know there were a lot of them.<\/p>\n

I had pushed em up; I was committed to the takeoff.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease Lord, don\u2019t let those birds hit my engines\u201d, I silently prayed.<\/p>\n

As I rolled toward them, they rose from their nesting\/resting position.<\/p>\n

I began to pull back on the stick to rotate heavenward on takeoff.<\/p>\n

They simultaneously rose heavenward.<\/p>\n

Thud, Thud, splat, splat, was all I heard.<\/p>\n

I prayed that the engines would keep turning.\u00a0 Trees lie right below my plane. I did not want to \u201cland\u201d in them with a powerless airplane.<\/p>\n

The engines kept turning, I kept praying, the plane kept rising.\u00a0 The splattering sounds stopped.<\/p>\n

We reached pattern altitude and thoroughly scanned the engine gauges.\u00a0 Readings indicated normal.\u00a0 I checked over my left shoulder to the left wing.\u00a0 Eddie checked the right wing.\u00a0 We sent to Flight Engineer back to scan the top of the wings out the small windows located on the doors over those thick wings.<\/p>\n

When we got on the ground, maintenance met us.\u00a0 Before we could get out of the cockpit they were all over the plane like ants on a picnic blanket.\u00a0 They began to count, \u201cone, two, three..\u201d the blood stains from the strikes were all over, \u201cnine,\u00a0 ten, eleven\u201d they were on the nose of the aircraft, \u201cfourteen, fifteen, sixteen\u201d the\u00a0 rudder, \u201ceighteen, nineteen\u201d the leading edge of the wings and the engine inlets, \u201c\u2026twenty one\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI count at least twenty one, sir\u201d, the crew chief reported.<\/p>\n

Eddie and I looked at each other in disbelief.\u00a0 A bird strike totally 21 confirmed and the engines kept turning.\u00a0 Thankfully, they were smaller birds, yet I was not taking that for granted.\u00a0 I closed my eyes and prayed a prayer of thanks.\u00a0 It could have ended much worse.\u00a0 As it turned out, it was the best ending we could hope for.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

I left the unit a short time later to pursue my masters education enroute to the Air Force Academy.\u00a0 As is customary, the flying unit gave me a picture of the NKC-135 upon my departure with a wide matte around the photo — Area enough for autographs and well wishes to be expressed by my fellow aviators.\u00a0 I can often see the picture from where I type.\u00a0\u00a0 Right in the middle is Eddie\u2019s salutation.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaryl, you bird slayer!\u00a0 21 + a new world record!\u201d<\/p>\n

He signed it with his name and then, “AKA Bird Man from Alcatraz”.\u00a0 I guess it may have been a record for the 4950th<\/sup>.\u00a0 A record I have no desire to top and am thankful that I survived.\u00a0 Thank you Lord!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In my previous blog, I explained the ins and outs of a bird strike (see:\u00a0https:\/\/doctoraviation.com\/bird-strikes-and-the-oklahoma-city-thunder\/ ) At the end of that blog I alluded to a flying story where I set a \u201crecord\u201d for bird strikes.\u00a0 It went down as follows. It was a beautiful early Fall afternoon \u2013 sunny and about 75 degrees.\u00a0 It […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":338,"featured_media":2565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[35],"tags":[528,517,527,526,525],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMy \u201cRecord\u201d Bird Strike - Doctor Aviation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In my previous blog, I explained the ins and outs of a bird strike. 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