This morning after work (nights in a hospital) I had my plane, a Hobbyzone Champ, with me. I got in a few flights at an empty parking lot while the air was calm or very light winds. Even flew it inverted for a short run. I didn't have a whole lot of time, so I only flew through two lipos and started home. I work in a different town from where I live, about a 30 minute drive. On the way I saw a hawk land on a power line on the opposite side of the highway. I pulled off and stopped on the shoulder. It's a four lane state highway separated by a median so the hawk was some distance away, like maybe 100 feet. I actually thought about taking my plane and flying near it (almost no traffic out there on Sunday mornings), just to see what it would do. Then I thought to myself, "Am I INSANE?!?! That's a HAWK. They EAT things the size of my plane". Common sense got the better of me and I really didn't have much time anyway, so I left it alone. I didn't think of it at that time, but hawks are federally protected and if someone saw me it could have been considered "harassment" and reported to the game wardens. I thermalled once with a hawk while flying my old Firebird Phantom (my avatar picture), but that was different. It was the hawk that swooped in to investigate the "bogey" in his air space which was my plane, not the other way around. I'm sure sooner or later we all have encounters in the air with birds, I'm wondering how many of you have had similar situations with hawks where maybe you were tempted to fly near them but decided not to. Let's hear your stories. Have a good one friends. Later.

A friend of mine had his MCQX quadcopter snatched from the air by a hawk here in SoCal. It grabbed it, flew about 100 yards and dropped it. I guess it realized it wasn't food!!! At our field, we have a family of hawks, two adults and three youngsters. They are used to us now and generally leave us alone..................and we them!!!

Originally Posted by chucksolo69

A friend of mine had his MCQX quadcopter snatched from the air by a hawk here in SoCal. It grabbed it, flew about 100 yards and dropped it. I guess it realized it wasn't food!!! At our field, we have a family of hawks, two adults and three youngsters. They are used to us now and generally leave us alone..................and we them!!!

Wow, that could have ended badly, and real quick like too. It's a good thing the hawk didn't have an appetite for rc quadcopter. I read once about a hawk that snatched someone's plane, flew to a tree with it, and calmly took it apart letting the pieces fall to the ground.

We have a couple hawks that patrol our club field. Not too long ago I was playing around with my Mini Ultra Stick while both hawks were in the air doing some type of courtship. I wasn't bothering them , but they started going up high, folding in their wings and diving at my plane. They would pull up just short of sinking their talons into the stick. They continued to dive at me until I finished the flight. They never touched the plane. I'm thinking of putting my keychain camera on the top of the plane to get some shots of them diving at it. If I can get them to do it again.

Originally Posted by Stingray8854

This morning after work (nights in a hospital) I had my plane, a Hobbyzone Champ, with me. I got in a few flights at an empty parking lot while the air was calm or very light winds. Even flew it inverted for a short run. I didn't have a whole lot of time, so I only flew through two lipos and started home. I work in a different town from where I live, about a 30 minute drive. On the way I saw a hawk land on a power line on the opposite side of the highway. I pulled off and stopped on the shoulder. It's a four lane state highway separated by a median so the hawk was some distance away, like maybe 100 feet. I actually thought about taking my plane and flying near it (almost no traffic out there on Sunday mornings), just to see what it would do. Then I thought to myself, "Am I INSANE?!?! That's a HAWK. They EAT things the size of my plane". Common sense got the better of me and I really didn't have much time anyway, so I left it alone. I didn't think of it at that time, but hawks are federally protected and if someone saw me it could have been considered "harassment" and reported to the game wardens. I thermalled once with a hawk while flying my old Firebird Phantom (my avatar picture), but that was different. It was the hawk that swooped in to investigate the "bogey" in his air space which was my plane, not the other way around. I'm sure sooner or later we all have encounters in the air with birds, I'm wondering how many of you have had similar situations with hawks where maybe you were tempted to fly near them but decided not to. Let's hear your stories. Have a good one friends. Later.

that is harassment and the fact you thought of doing it speaks tons about you

If you were seen by a DNR officer, and he might assume you were trying to attack or kill the hawk. (And they can assume just about what ever they want), you would have lost not only your plane but your car and whatever else you had with you.

Originally Posted by k_ogre

that is harassment and the fact you thought of doing it speaks tons about you

chill man. this is harassment ...

Eagle Attacks Rc Glider At Alice Springs (4 min 25 sec)

Originally Posted by k_ogre

that is harassment and the fact you thought of doing it speaks tons about you

The fact that he didn't do it says much more.

Originally Posted by k_ogre

that is harassment and the fact you thought of doing it speaks tons about you

Come on, don't tell me you have never "thought" about killing a hobo? We all have, right? guys? hello?....

Well, anyway I don't think a split second thought about doing something like that says anything about anyone, the way you ACT is what says things about you.... Things like, oh, I don't know, harshly judging someone on an online forum for just thinking about doing something stupid for just a spit second, and then of course thinking better of it, like anyone with commons sense would.... Just as an example...

This site is full of self righteous people that love to point out the possible flaws of others as if these forums are real life. I really wonder if they get out much.

Originally Posted by k_ogre

that is harassment and the fact you thought of doing it speaks tons about you

Seriously? The fact that I titled this thread "A brief moment of insanity", and the fact that I DIDN'T do it should speak tons about me as well. My thought was to fly near it, maybe 15 feet or so in front of or above, to see what it would do. To INTERACT with the hawk, not harass it. I had NO intention of harming or even harassing the bird, and even if I'd wanted to I seriously doubt a bird of prey would be "harassed" by a small, 1.3 ounce foam plane that it could easily tear to pieces. You're WAY off base with your "speaks tons" about me assumption.

I would say the fact that you didn't do it and the REASON you didn't do it says more about the society we live in, if anything.

No, it wouldn't harm the bird in any way, of course.

The fact that we have to be afraid of doing something like that for fear of someone assuming we are "harassing" the bird, simply because there are so many lowlifes out there that would try to fly their plane into the bird, is just sad....

Originally Posted by k_ogre

that is harassment and the fact you thought of doing it speaks tons about you

Hurling insults from afar speaks volumes about you! (ironic isn't it)

Originally Posted by 1fullbird

Hurling insults from afar speaks volumes about you! (ironic isn't it)

+1 to this...



as far as flying with birds, a few times this summer i had some small starling type birds going nuts for my UM planes. They would shoot up from the grass and go after em. For me it was funny for about 2 seconds then aggrevating, but if i gained some altitude they'd leave me alone, i just couldnt "buzz" the field without attacks.
boats

I've had to avoid flocks of geese recently with my cessna 182. About 30-40 of them all at the altitude I was at. I came down to get out of the way, they didnt even seem fased by it. If anything they veered slightly away from it.

I was more worried about getting hit and them sending my plane to the ground. Oh yeah, and hurting the bird... of course