Close Encounters of a feathered kind

[Alan Resinger]

Chris Cox decided to play hooky this morning so we could get in a few flights as tomorrow we're heading down to Seattle for Bruce Hunt's judging and flying clinic.  I was flying my last flight when I pulled up into the overhead eight and to my surprise my airspace was being violated.  This is our resident pair of bald eagles that like to perch on top of the cell phone tower that's about 100 yards North of our #1 circle.  They have a huge nest about a quarter mile East of the field.  Startled me as they were only slightly higher than the Crossfire was.  Chris happened to have the camera handy and snapped a shot. 
I didn't get pattern points as I bailed after the first inside half of the eight.
Alan Resinger   

[Paul Walker]

That happens at the ranch several times each year, usually in early summer. None have got tooooo close though.

[Fred Underwood]

I find the geese that try to land in the circle or next to it, while I am flying a bit much.  At least they usually are honking so that I get to try to find the approach and dodge.  Common in Salem at this time of year.

[Mike Haverly]

I bagged a Red Tail Hawk a few years back at our old flying sight by the river.  There was some blood spatter and feathers on my outboard wing tip.  The airplane made it, the bird didn't.

[Ron Cribbs]

Be glad you didn't nail one.

That would have done wonders for promoting the hobby. 

[john e. holliday]

The eagles were probably making sure you weren't a threat>  Otherwise they might have attacked.  I remember flying late in the evening and having night hawks attack or try to attack my planes.   Flying RC gliders it was fun when a hawk would fly formation with me.   

[Howard Rush]

The eagles were probably making sure you weren't a threat>  Otherwise they might have attacked. 

He is a threat, and that's why we sent the eagles, Doc.  Those guys send huge geese down here to fly through our circle.

[Andre Ming]

Like Doc Holliday, all I ever had was night hawks buzz me in the evenings.

In fact, it was a night hawk that revealed something to me while flying.

This happened during the summer of '70. I had been flying regularly for weeks at the flying field at Ft. Smith, AR that existed at the time.  All that summer, I had been building and flying combat planes to learn the stunts, improve my skills, et al, in the hopes of going to combat meets the following season. I was finally to the point that I knew all of the pattern stunts, and could "free fly" and keep the airplane turning and burning for the entire tank... I was just putting in airtime now and building muscle memory as well as reflexes, and hoping to "some day" be good enough to fly my airplane without looking at it. 

Anyway, the particular day of which I speak, the "Witching Hour" had come. (Witching Hour: You know, as a summer's day is coming to a close, it's that 30 minutes or so when the wind gets calm, the sun is almost all the way down, and things are beginning to cool off... perfect for a couple more flights!)  My 36X powered Vampire leapt into the air for what I figured was my final flight of the day.  As I was churnin' n' turnin'... a night hawk entered the circle at about the 2 o'clock position, intent on running this noisy intruder off. Cool! I immediately pulled back toward him and the mix-up was on.  It was only after a few seconds of trying to keep him in sight that I realized I was flying my airplane without looking at it... so focused I was on where the night hawk was.

No, I didn't hit him... but I got close enough to him that he left out like his tail feathers were on fire.  However, the big deal (to me) was that I was flying my combat plane without looking at it!  That was a notable step for this young man. (Well, young at the time.)

About a year later, again I was dicing with a night hawk during a "Witching Hour", and I actually did clip it with the lead outs on my airplane.  It spun him into a backwards summersault or two... and then that one left out like a bat out of torment!!

Such good times.

[Randy Ryan]

My only encounter was with a Red Tailed hawk at a local contest several years ago. I had a great flight going and and just as I was climbing to the 3rd loop of the clover leaf, the hawk came into the circle. Fortunatey I think he realized he was overmatched by the Chief and he did a backslide and flew away, but not until he made my blow on of the best flights I'd ever flown to that point.

Then on the second flight I did a pretty good carbon copy without the hawk, had a bit of a hard start tho. I finished up and greased it in only to hear the judges say 8:02 ARRRRRRGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!