Eagle!

[daveb]

Had a good flight yesterday that included about 10 minutes with two eagles. I'm in an open frame with a little video strapped to my chest. There is a short grab when one of them came in pretty close for a few seconds.

I stuck up a page tonight http://www.primemover.com.au/gyro.htm with a link to the footage. Its about 1meg.

Here's another shot which gives the camera Point of View (POV). I'm still getting the hang of pointing it, turning it on with gloves and flying at the same time. :eek:

Dave

BTW the eagle shots are with the camera on wide angle, this guy really came in and checked me out! Rotors? Noise? no problem...

[Victor Duarte]

fantastic encouter dave !
i bet he won the race ;) did he laugh about all the metal stuff you need to fly vs his quills :D
remembers me the guy whitch had a goose family following him even when flying his ultralight.
great, better an eagle than a kangaroo ;)

[banaari]

Outstanding!!!!

[Dewie]

Well done Dave great shots.
________
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[daveb]

Flew again with two eagles this week. I'm pretty sure these guys live near our airfield and are the same ones that I posted pics of a while ago. This time I got some footage of flying side by side and then one of them ducked underneath me - before peeling off.

There's also a pic of my camera setup.. an old belt with a simple mount.

[Victor Duarte]

Thanks for the pics Dave, your setup is interesting, given the LCD display, not too hard to aim?
thanks

[daveb]

The camera sits on an old still camera shoe mount that has a thumb set for angle and a swivel so you can pan across.

For this sequence I just aimed it in the right direction, put the focus on middle distance (manual) and hoped for the best. I was a bit challenged doing verticle sinks and turns trying to keep up with these guys... the LCD is a bit small for framing little eagles :o

[automan1223]

I would be aware that many a gyro has had a bird strike.

Large birds make for large emergency landings.

cool video though.

[daveb]

"I would be aware that many a gyro has had a bird strike."

Good point, you need to choose who you fly with. I've observed and flown with eagles over a 15 year period mainly in gliders where we often shared thermals. They are intelligent birds who seem to enjoy (or laugh at) a big clumsy thing like myself. Some fly in your blind spot and after a while will move along side. The only issue I've had is during the mating season where they may dive at you to scare you away from their territory. Even then, its all a controlled situation.

Ibis's (local water birds) and pelicans on the other hand, I stay away from. They are either aloof or dumb. The other guys I see a lot are little starlings that flop around in the thermals chasing insects.

If I'm not sure how a bird flies or if I don't think it wants company, I stay away :)

[asmuzsr]

From what I've heard birds will dive to get away from you. So keep them below you.

[birdy]

Geez Dave, its mid summer and your rugged up like an Eskymo, mate, I'm guna die at Cooma.

Your right Tony, one way to realy put the wind up the cheeky ones is to attack from underneath, they'll sh1t um selves.