I had my first bird strike in 19 years of flying a few days ago and NO, the bird was NOT still in the tree as has happened to some of our learned colleagues.
Right after start on the apron at Aerosport, Fisantekraal, there was a sudden shudder and a vibration then it was gone.
I switched off immediately knowing that something had gone wrong. The thought flashed through my mind that perhaps my passenger had reached back and got his hand in the prop (which is not possible) or something he may have had with him had blown through. Imagine our surprise when we discovered a pigeon had flown into the prop while the machine was stationary.
Siestog... arme ding!
No damage was done to the prop and after a thorough check we said a few words for the recently departed and enjoyed the next sortie uneventfully.
