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Eagle Owl at 1000 fps towards the camera


kgwilson

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You know, we talk about flying like a bird, but I think that what I really want to do is *land* like one! It's the ultimate STOL. Pick a point, flare to a standstill and just put the landing gear down... (dream on 070_sleep.gif.1c8d367a0c12958f2106584470af404d.gif)

 

 

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What great footage. Living in the Central Wheatbelt of WA we often get the opportunities to get close to Wegde-tailed Eagles. I will never tire of looking at them. Today I was raking hay and had a solo wedgie stalking some unfortunate quail. Brutally efficient.

 

For quite a while a few years I had a wedgie that made a home in a mallee tree, that had a rabbit warren close by, just past lift of point on Western departures on my farm airstrip. We both experienced a number of close encounters. No height and bugger all airspeed made a few of the meetings especially interesting.

 

Two years ago I was boom spraying adjoining a paddock with lambing ewes. I observed a wedgie swoop on an abandoned merino lamb and attempt a take off. At about 2' AGL it realized that it had exceeded Max All Up Weight and jettisoned poor lamb. I walked across to the lamb thinking that the experience had probably not done it a lot of good, and was surprised to see that other some minor lacerations all was well with the unfortunate ovine. Took it back to join the wife's five other pet lambs, Was promply named "Wedgie". The good news is that this year "Wedgie" presented us with a beaut ewe lamb. Talk about a close encounter.

 

 

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In a test of memory, I recall an incident agout 40 years ago when the pilot of a Baron had a wedgie some through the screen while on final to Barrow Island. The pilot landed safely, though I think he lost the sight in one eye. That was not the end. The wedgie survived the hit, and was keen on retribution.

 

I still chuckle about an incident on the 1984 Airtourer Simpson Desert Flight. Approaching Birdsville Stan Tilley decided to descend and check out the birdlike on the Diamantina River.

 

Descent followed by a quick ascent (well as quick as a 115 Hp Airourer will allow), as Stan was not keen on a pelican vs Airtourer collision that far from Hobart. Bonnie's input was not recorded!!

 

 

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Guest davidh10
You know, we talk about flying like a bird, but I think that what I really want to do is *land* like one! It's the ultimate STOL. Pick a point, flare to a standstill and just put the landing gear down... (dream on 070_sleep.gif.1c8d367a0c12958f2106584470af404d.gif)

Like a Harrier :-)

 

 

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Wow, that is spectacular footage, the feathers certainly indicate the disturbed airflow at what would possibly wing stall at the root, but not at the tips. Imagine if we could design a wing like that, imagine the control system to make it work ...

 

 

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