Ouch!

by Bryan

12 comments

1 Kryten42 { 04.21.08 at 11:39 pm }

Yup! A Pelican. Was apparently a new Chinese secret weapon test using a reprogrammed target-seeking pelican used for retaliation after the PM’s spanking about the Chinese brutality against it’s marginalized indigenous people (because they don’t agree with Communism).

That’s my theory anyway. LOL

Here’s a good news report on the incident. Sure made a mess of the nosecone! Amazing pilot skills to land that sucker without wrecking the F-111!

F-111 almost downed – by a pelican

So, why spend million’s buying missiles when you can breed pelicans? LOL

2 Bryan { 04.22.08 at 12:10 am }

We lost the two starboard engines on an RC-135 over Nebraska to a flock of Canadian geese that the aircraft commander had been trying to avoid. As the Nav put it “Damn, AC, those suckers have a death wish!”

For some reason jet engines don’t react well to large birds.

The right windshield was cracked and bloody from an earlier hit and we were returning to base to get an expedited fix on that to continue the mission, when the flight rose to our altitude right in front of the aircraft – there must have been a strong thermal from the crop land.

It didn’t look like a particular aerodynamic configuration, and all that fiberglas would have been flapping away on final. Nice piece of flying.

3 jams o donnell { 04.22.08 at 1:07 pm }

Bloody hell. I daresay the pelican was reduced to a smear. 48th TFW at Lakenheath flew F111s. I used to like watching them when I went to stay with my aunt and ex-USAF uncle in Mildenhall

4 Bryan { 04.22.08 at 5:30 pm }

I would think that if the pilot hadn’t seen it, it would have taken DNA to determine what type of bird the aardvark “ate”.

Actually, we were eventually supposed to land at RAF Upper Heyford when we got “rammed” by the geese.

5 Cookie Jill { 04.23.08 at 12:24 am }

There was one crazy moose in Hanover, NH where I grew up. He “lived” in NH, but swam across the Connecticut River fairly regularly to Vermont to graze…then swim back across to New Hampshire before the sun set. Seeing those antlers bobbing in the water was hysterical….well, to a little kid.

6 Bryan { 04.23.08 at 1:05 am }

In Alaska they are the reason you take a gun with you when you leave civilization. The bears and wolves that people think are a threat will leave humans alone unless times are really bad, but moose will just take a notion and attack you. The only safe place is a good sized tree that you can climb to get out of their way until they move on.

7 Kryten42 { 04.23.08 at 5:14 am }

Sounds like the wild boars (tuskers) we have here. My grandfather taught me to NEVER go hunting boar without a marksman friend with at least a .30-06 and handy trees! They have such a thick skull and tough hide, I have actually seen a bullet ricochet off a big one! If you are in their territory, they will attack. He made me practice climbing trees until he decided I was quick enough. Came in handy later. 😉

He had a .30-378 Weatherby that he let me shoot once. That would easily down a Moose! No worries! LOL Has a savage recoil though! And if you are not ready for it, expect a serious bruise or worse. Point blank was 300 yds if I remember right.

Ahhh… the things we did in our youth! LOL

8 Bryan { 04.23.08 at 3:41 pm }

We have wild hogs further inland, but they tend not to be quite as psycho, although they are too stupid to know when they are dead. There is a class of fools who hunt them with dogs, which tends to result in major injuries and deaths to all concerned, as the dogs will occasionally chase a hog back to their owner.

There are/were clubs in Germany where they still hunt boar with spears and short swords. I don’t think so.

9 Kryten42 { 04.24.08 at 12:17 am }

Bloody hell! Must be a suicide club then! I can think of easier ways. LOL

Hmmm… I have heard there are some here that hunt boars with a bow (or crossbow years ago. They are illegal here now!). A crossbow is usually a lot more dangerous than a rifle in the hands of an expert! We had one in Cambodia! Could kill a sentry on the other side of a tree or though a decent wall. Silently. 😉

But… short swords?! Mad. I have seen what the Aborigines here can do with a spear though! And deadly accurate too. I have great respect for the tribesmen hunters and trackers. I know they can kill boar with spears. They know the spot to hit, and they can jump fast! LOL

10 Bryan { 04.24.08 at 1:34 am }

This is/was a boar spear with a short, thick shaft, a broad blade, and a metal cross guard. The concept was to have the boar charge while you held your ground and the boar ran in to the spear. The short sword was to finish him off. It was a damn fool thing to do, but it was definitely “sporting”.

A regular hunting bow, or a crossbow in the right hands will take down a large animal more surely than a rifle. I knew a few guys who only hunted with bows, because it was a separate season, and there was less worry about getting killed by another hunter. Bow Hunters tend to actually identify their target, as opposed to neophyte rifle hunters.

Funny you should mention crossbows and Cambodia. There were rumors that some tribes still use crossbows in the highlands, and that some of them occasionally took shots at low, slow moving aircraft flying over their areas. At least, that’s what I heard.

11 hipparchia { 04.24.08 at 2:21 am }

crossbows, the new sdi.

12 Bryan { 04.24.08 at 12:37 pm }

They are at least as effective.