Flying With The Birds

Kaos · Mar 29, 2016

I was cruising around when these birds made an appearance. Had a little fun trying to keep up.

With The Birds · Mar 29, 2016

Your potentially asking for trouble (tempting fate) there. Most birds are satisfied to see you heading away from them and will leave you alone. If they feel you are persuing them they will often have a go. Result being trashed aircraft and even worse injured wildlife. Not to mention potentially crashing into someones windscreen and causing them to cross into oncomming traffic.

Leave the birds alone please.

BDOG · Mar 29, 2016

How in the world does one claim to know what many birds are "thinking" and how they will behave based on the way they feel or think?

I counted 9 cars that were on the roadways in this entire video. At no time did I see that the drone was actively directly over any cars with peril to their windscreens.

There were also no cars in the lanes next to them so moving into oncoming traffic after a drone goes through their windscreen in this area and during this flight is bordering on preposterous.

As he states its fun and he is not actually trying to harm any living creatures as I am sure that is not his intent.

We have enough regulations, registration requirements, no fly zones, apps that cripple altitude , logging by apps . We don't need any more nanny police!

If you want to go back and forth about this well go on by yourself as I wont participate.

With The Birds · Mar 29, 2016

BDOG said:
How in the world does one claim to know what many birds are "thinking" and how they will behave based on the way they feel or think?

I counted 9 cars that were on the roadways in this entire video. At no time did I see that the drone was actively directly over any cars with peril to their windscreens.

There were also no cars in the lanes next to them so moving into oncoming traffic after a drone goes through their windscreen in this area and during this flight is bordering on preposterous.

As he states its fun and he is not actually trying to harm any living creatures as I am sure that is not his intent.

We have enough regulations, registration requirements, no fly zones, apps that cripple altitude , logging by apps . We don't need any more nanny police!

If you want to go back and forth about this well go on by yourself as I wont participate.

You are likely being over defensive here. I am not a Nanny or a prude. Simply offering facts that may be of benefit. I dont have to know what the birds are thinking, i can happily rely on observed behaviour. I have been in light aircraft (aeroplane and helicopters) where eagles have come in with the intent of more than a close look. I have had close calls with drones and sea eagles, sea gulls, cockatoos, magpies and another bkack sea going bird i cant identify by name that actively pursued me. All seemed quite content (didnt know their thoughts but observed their behaviour) for me to fly directly back in the direction i had approached from. And this is the observed behavior of birds by experts. They give chase and back off when the intruder is clearly leaving their territory. This is also the srandard proceedure of the farmers i have flown with, turn around and increase altitude.

The OP may not have been aware of this. I know i wasnt at one point. No different to suggesting to someone they should.not fly close to an emergency situation etc.

This forum is supposed to be about sharing knowledge that may benefit those with a shared interest. That was my intent.

Melvoid · Mar 29, 2016

Sigh... even here among friends, we have to argue.

Well, we DO know how they think. For the most part, something like a quadcopter causes fear or defensive feelings animals; particularly wild animals. So I agree, to us it may be "following;" but to the birds, it's "being chased."

I'm neither condoning nor condemning the activity, but I agree that the birds are not pleased about it.

Plus, you might wind up with a pregnant quadcopter.