I'm sorry to hear that buddy....but as you say...they will will back next year! In the meantime, maybe you can find some humans with airplanes that will fly with you...

Originally Posted by Flutter-By

I'm sorry to hear that buddy....but as you say...they will will back next year! In the meantime, maybe you can find some humans with airplanes that will fly with you...

I'm not too sure about that Flutter-By! All the local pilots are either flying over the house in full-scale Ospreys, or over in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting for our freedom. If all else fails, maybe I'll drive to Muncie, Indiana in September and get in a little stick time with some buddies!

Great story

There are some birds at our local club field that I've had fly with me on some mornings. I never knew what they were until I read your post and looked the bird up - it's definitely the same! There is a birdhouse attached to our field's shed that they nest in, and I've had as many as a dozen flying with me.

The first few times I thought they were aggressively trying to chase the plane out of their area, but since then I've changed my mind to the thought that they actually have fun flying along. I used to try to avoid them, only to have them follow me from one end of the field to the next. Now I like to do slow banks and climbs/dives at speed and watch the mass follow along.

Just this morning I had about 6 flying with my Sukhoi XP - they really seem attracted to that plane a lot. I think it's more of their speed and agility

I wasn't aware they migrated so early, but they are still here as of today. Hopefully they'll hang around a bit longer, it really is a fun experience.

Originally Posted by Wrathchild

Great story

There are some birds at our local club field that I've had fly with me on some mornings. I never knew what they were until I read your post and looked the bird up - it's definitely the same! There is a birdhouse attached to our field's shed that they nest in, and I've had as many as a dozen flying with me.

The first few times I thought they were aggressively trying to chase the plane out of their area, but since then I've changed my mind to the thought that they actually have fun flying along. I used to try to avoid them, only to have them follow me from one end of the field to the next. Now I like to do slow banks and climbs/dives at speed and watch the mass follow along.

Just this morning I had about 6 flying with my Sukhoi XP - they really seem attracted to that plane a lot. I think it's more of their speed and agility

I wasn't aware they migrated so early, but they are still here as of today. Hopefully they'll hang around a bit longer, it really is a fun experience.

Good News!

After being gone for two days, the Purple Martins living in my gourds have come back! I'm guessing they probably went up to visit the Wright Brother's Memorial at Kitty Hawk for a couple of days. Anyway, we're formation flying again every morning and evening!

Originally Posted by Wrathchild

Great story

There are some birds at our local club field that I've had fly with me on some mornings. I never knew what they were until I read your post and looked the bird up - it's definitely the same! There is a birdhouse attached to our field's shed that they nest in, and I've had as many as a dozen flying with me.

The first few times I thought they were aggressively trying to chase the plane out of their area, but since then I've changed my mind to the thought that they actually have fun flying along. I used to try to avoid them, only to have them follow me from one end of the field to the next. Now I like to do slow banks and climbs/dives at speed and watch the mass follow along.

Just this morning I had about 6 flying with my Sukhoi XP - they really seem attracted to that plane a lot. I think it's more of their speed and agility

I wasn't aware they migrated so early, but they are still here as of today. Hopefully they'll hang around a bit longer, it really is a fun experience.

They don't usually head back South this early, but their migration habits have been strange in our area for the past couple years. The rule of thumb in our area has been to put up the Martin houses and gourds around Valentine's Day. My birds usually show up around the second or third week of March. This year some of them didn't arrive until May. I was afraid they had tried to make up for coming late by leaving early! I just knew they were gone, putting an end to my daily ritual of flying with them.

I apologize to Flutter-By for talking about Purple Martins on a blog about his great airplane. But... the only thing better than flying a Flutter-By with a friend is flying one with 50 or 60 of our little feathered friends!

I checked all our bird books. Usually the birds start to migrate later than what LtColBryan said. this year we had unusual migrations. So it is not out of line that our feathered friend may choose to leave early. We usually have humming bird wars late in August, they are going on right now. That is where the males chase other males from our humming bird feeders.
Now I have never had a feathered friend fly with my Flutter-By. I fly at our property all the time and none of the birds fly with me. LtColBryan you are so lucky to have Purple Martins flying with you.
Must be a sight to see. Get some photos if you can, I know, hard to fly and take pictures at the same time.
Conehead
Orrin Eldred

A lot of people may not be aware of this but Purple Martins live in a monarchial society. It's of course rather difficult to determine which of the birds are the royalty but here is a possible test you can make. Next time you're getting ready to fly with them tape some thin apple slices to the wing of your plane. Then when you are flying look for the bird who flies above the plane. That will be the queen of the flock.


What, you've never heard of "Purple Martins majesty/ above the fruited plane"?

Oh......GROAN!

Groan + 14, that was bad, really bad!!!!!!!!
Conehead
Orrin Eldred
Off to fly my Flutter-By after that.

I literally laughed out loud!! Corny, but funny!

I was speaking to a friend today that normally has more than one hundred Purple Martins staying on his property each year. He informed me that his birds left approximately 2 weeks ago and have not been seen since. Their migration schedule has really been strange this year. Hopefully they will be back to normal next year. They sure make for some fun Flutter-By formation flying!

Looks like we got another Flutter-By coming to Northern Michigan.
We had a float fly 13 August 2010, Friday the 13 th and I learned that another Flutter-By was coming to it's new home here. We had lots of flights, no crashes and I almost flew my Flutter-By in a very tight space, but I chose not to. Trees, reeds, lake, if I had the mini one, maybe, not the Combat Edition.
Conehead
Orrin Eldred

Went to Tustin today. Down the road apiece from Cadillac and went to the CAMP's fly-in. They have a very nice field, trees to the north, open area to the south and the west side is lots of trees and a swamp. It was windy, about 10-14 mph winds for most of the day. I finally put my Corsair up and landed it with no trouble and got out the Flutter-By. Everyone said, You going to fly that!! I said sure, Jack says it will fly in 20 mph wind, so I should be able to fly it. I went to the flight line, wind rolled the Flutter-By over. I then picked it up, throttled up, off it went. I think the crowd was speechless. Up it went, into the wind and I did a couple of loops and flew around for about 3 to 4 minutes. I landed, wind blew it over. I walked out, set the Flutter-By back up and into the wind, the announcer said, go up again, we need to fill another minute or two. I then throttled up the Flutter-By leaped off the ground, straight up, everyone held their breath, I leveled out and did a few more loops and then sort of hovered it some and then I flew around a couple of circles and then I came in and landed it into the wind and everyone was amazed. It flew in the wind, I made believers of them and proved that Jack is right.
What a hoot. I was the only one up, big crowd of spectators who were amazed that this Flutter-By flew in the wind.
Conehead
Orrin Eldred

removed because of faulty memory... mine.

Just ordered one......strange how this plane hit me in that soft spot between my heart and my brain!

Thanks to Jack for helping me out, he has been very accommodating. I will be the only one in Edmonton AB Canada with one of these I think. I have a funny feeling that after the first indoor night I bring it to will start a few people down the path to Flutter-By ownership.

Thanks a million Jack.

I don't remember how I found it so accidental was the find, but I KNEW I had to have it as soon as I saw it!!

MAG