Learning to fly, or thinking of learning? Post your questions, comments and experiences here

Moderator: AndyR

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By FlightDek
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1848230
Close!!

I had my only rejected take-off caused by birds at Hawarden during circuit consolidation. Nowhere near as close as your feathered friends :thumleft:
By Fellsteruk
#1848241
Yeah was proper close, was convinced I’d clipped one but no dents or red splat marks.

Hawarden has a lot of bird activity but this is the closest call I’ve had for the most part they keep distance.

If it’s not birds it’s rabbits on the taxi way playing chicken lol.
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By Rob P
#1848250
I bagged a gull on final at Le Touquet a couple of years back. (That's I was final, he was departing on a left base for some reason). It hit the starboard wing a glancing blow and luckily we escaped without a dent

Rob P
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By Rob P
#1848267
T6Harvard wrote:Crikey! Startle factor for real!!


Not really. I only knew after we'd landed and my passenger told me. Being on her side of the aircraft and she was a first timer into Le Touquet she was looking out that side whilst I was concentrating on the threshold.

But the feathers were there so it did happen.

Rob P
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1848270
Our TB20 still has the marks on the windscreen from where parts of a blackback gull spread itself across the screen having flown through the prop with inevitable results.

I'd just taken off IFR and the cloud base was about 800ft, so a low level circuit to land to assess any damage was "interesting".

It would have been more interesting if it had broken the screen and hit MrsJohnm :shock:

Happily the damage was superficial so we cleaned the aircraft and resumed our trip.
By Fellsteruk
#1848282
T6Harvard wrote:@Fellsteruk , I just looked again at the vid (well I showed MrT6 actually) and kudos to you, steady as a rock! :thumleft:


I tell you, wasn’t feeling it inside, it threw me off as my landing was pretty poor, was a crosswind, kicked the left rudder in and some bank right to compensate but I didn’t give it enough and a bit of wind hit I started to roll left and quick.

Managed to adjust, get down but for a split second left wheel touched down first but was a massive learning experience in how much more opposite bank you need, was my first solo in a 12-14kt cross wind, always been less than 10.

My enjoyment of flying was overtaken by worry/fear so I landed and called it a day as it felt the wind was picking up even more :(
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1848287
@Fellsteruk pushing the boundaries is all part of learning and you coped if untidily and then rightly called it a day.

All of us have days like that!
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By FlightDek
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1848380
I'd suggest trying to avoid the birds would be a bad idea - abrupt manoeuvring that close to the ground could go really bad.

The options are continue to land or go-around. If you're sure of no damage but startled then a go-around would be a good idea. However, if you suspect a birdstrike, a go-around could mean taking a problem back up into the air. No easy to decide in such a short time.

As with so much in flying - it depends :lol:
By Fellsteruk
#1848396
bladerunner911 wrote:Wow that's so close!
Are there any options in this scenario, or is it a case of cross your fingers and hope you land?
Thanks for sharing. :shock:


I’m still a student so experience is low but my through process in that moment was if I hit them at least I have a runway ahead and I can get down, even if engine died I’d make it down granted maybe not on runway but in an emergency I’d like to think me landing safely but on the extended threshold whilst not allowed would be overlooked...... maybe less so if it splatted the windscreen and blocked my vision and I suspect damage to the wing wouldn’t be so bad that it would cause an issue to prevent a stable approach?

Was very conscious of the fact I had low airspeed, drag flaps so as commented trying to steer around them may have resulted in a worse outcome, for me anyway ;)