Obstacle on Runway!?

[Olle1975]

Has anybody had a obstacle on runway?

For two weeks I was very surprised, when an other pilot at holdingpoint gives me the warning, that a deer is standing on runway, which I haven't seen until now.... :eek:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9DP9HKffxo

Olaf

[jmodguy]

And you still managed to put the nose wheel on the center line! Very good sir! :D

[ken nougaret]

I had to slowly swerve around some sandhill cranes while landing a couple of weeks ago. They just refused to move. Unfortunately i didnt have the gopro on.

[SkySteve]

Deer and cattle a few times. Cattle are the worst as it takes several low level passes to herd them far enough away that they don't wander back before you can get landed and stopped.

Oh, then there was that time at Johnson Creek, Idaho when a low wing airplane and high wing airplane decided to mate on short final and made an ugly pile of airplane parts on the threshold in the backcountry, so everyone had to land long, over the pile.

The best ever was early one morning when my flying buddy and I were setting up for a two plane landing in a meadow on the top of the 8,500 ft mountain right behind my house. All of a sudden, on short final we realized a grizzly bear had taken over the meadow and was on patrol, crossing right where we were going to land. We decided it prudent to just fly in circles above the meadow until Mr. Grizz decided to leave. Then we landed, had our morning coffee while on full alert, then got out of there.

[avidflyer]

I have my own grass strip up here in northern Mn. Not that uncommon to have deer on the runway. I always overfly the field to check for deer. Lots of times I've had to buzz over their heads to chase them off. It's been a bit better lately though, timber wolves have moved into the area, and the deer population is decreasing or moving out. Saw a wolf about a week ago in my yard when I pulled in at night. Caught him in the headlights about 200' from the house. JImChuk

[SkySteve]

Jim,
Sounds like it might be a good idea to thin the wolf pack.

[Esser]

At one of my wife's previous jobs, one of their Lears hit a deer at V1

[avidflyer]

Jim,
Sounds like it might be a good idea to thin the wolf pack.

About a month ago, a guy who lives about 2 miles from me had his dog chewed up in his yard by a couple of wolves. He saw it all and was screaming at the wolves for a bit before they took off. Big vet bill to save the dog. The DNR had a trapper come in and he got 2 wolves right away, then he had to go further north where some people were loosing calves to other wolves. JImChuk

[Kitfox Guy]

Its not uncommon to see coyotes on or near runways in the western states. They seem to like locating their dens on airport property. A PA-28 was pretty well banged up after colliding with one during a night landing. However, they aren't all bad as they do keep the rabbit and rodent population at the airport in check.

[PaulSS]

Plenty of 'roos around some of the strips I go to and it normally requires a pass down the runway to get them to clear off. They like a couple of the golf courses I hack around as well. They find the safest place to stand and watch me is right by the flag because they're intelligent little buggers and know my ball is going nowhere near them. Emus are funny to watch when they scatter off a strip :)

I remember watching a KC130 hitting a squadron of deer who decided to hang out on the runway at Cherry Point (NC). No sooner had the aircraft cleared the runway than the ranger was there in his ute (pick up), chucking them in the back for 'examination'.....in the smoking room no doubt.

[beeryboats]

Had a close call years ago with my Dad's Varga. On take off what I thought were a couple of black birds setting way down on the runway turned out to be three very large Turkey Vultures. Two went on way and the third went the other way. I dipped a wing, stabbed the rudder and kind of slipped through them. Turns out they were having a snack on the centerline that someone else had hit. A quick radio call to a friend on the field with a shovel took care of the problem by the time we came back.

[rosslr]

Yeah, as Paul said, plenty of roos here at Mt Beauty and often land over the top of them. I have had many funny experiences with them in the outback - taxiing down the runway to scare them off, returning to the TO point, turn around and they are all back where they were! Cattle too in the outback strips. And Sheep. And recently had 18 emus run out and across the strip just after landing. So far no hits! But certainly needs a low level run down the runway first in outback airstrips!

cheers

r
just took this out my lounge room window - they are not scared to come close around here!

[jrthomas]

I nailed a turkey a few years ago on my buddy's grass strip. There were 15 or so young ones with a couple of hens. They ran for their lives when I took off but came right back. On my landing approach they scattered again but just as I was flaring the ones that went right decided they wanted to follow those that went left. I was committed by then and hoped I had enough height but I guess it just wasn't his (or her) day. They were about the size of an average chicken so no damage, (not to the Kitfox anyway). I've seen lots of deer on grass strips. Usually they run away but sometimes they just stand there. Everything seems to like to come out to graze late afternoon.

[avidflyer]

The back window of my garage face right down the runway, and when I'm working in there, I'm often glancing down the runway as I work. Today, I saw 5 deer on the runway over a couple of hours or less. Rained all day, so no flying. JImChuk

[jiott]

Elk in a state park were very hard to scare away.

[rainbird]

Ok I guess I will have to tell my story. This happened at KAST Astoria/Warrenton airport. We had a small business jet taking off and the pilot didn't see a small heard of elk at the far end of the runway. He was ready to rotate when he hit a large bull. The jet was completely destroyed but nobody on board was hurt. The elk exploded into a million pieces about the size of a fifty cent piece. Then came a million birds mostly seagulls and crows. In about an hours time they gobbled up that entire 800 lb elk. Soon after the FAA decided to put up a 12' high elk fence all around the airport. There have been no more close encounters with elk and airplanes but the place now feels like a high security area with that fence.

[Olle1975]

Nice storys "thumps up"

At sunny days it is very difficult to find in gemany an airstrip without any traffic, there is almost no chance
to see an animal on runway. It was my first time in the last 14 years.
I think, in your big country and great landscape is it more possible to "enjoy" this wildlife-situation than here :).

Olaf

[beeryboats]

Nice storys "thumps up"

At sunny days it is very difficult to find in gemany an airstrip without any traffic, there is almost no chance
to see an animal on runway. It was my first time in the last 14 years.
I think, in your big country and great landscape is it more possible to "enjoy" this wildlife-situation than here :).

Olaf

You have no idea! Sometimes the "wildlife" are my neighbors.
Jay