Messin' with Mother Nature

[Hinckley Bill]

So I was out zippin' around in my front yard with my Astro Hog (WalMart $20 special) just as the sun was going down yesterday....if you've never tried one it's the easiest, quickest hit of fun flying you can get, providing the wind is pretty low.

Anyway, I was diving and climbing, when all of a sudden something zips by me and and next thing I know the Astro Hog is lying on the ground and right next to it was a very confused Hawk, trying to figure out what it was that it had just put a claw into (yes my Astro Hog now has a "unique" insignia on the right wing). It sat there for a few seconds and then just spread a large set of wings and flew off.....probably disgusted that it'd wasted it's time on a "non-edible" kill!

I broke a gut laughing so hard at the whole situation, and shared it with my wife and daughter who couldn't believe it.....were it not for the claw puncture in the wing it would've been a tough one to prove.

I've been at the field when hawks have circled up high watching us fly all kind of planes, but never had one decide to make a meal out of one of mine.

Bill

[SleepyC]

That rules.

HAWK fishing...

The next great sport.

[DKnippen]

You have to watch out for Dogs too. My Hog was snatched By the mutt.

[Foamy Love]

[Larry Lewis]

I dont care WHO ya are,,,,thats funny!
Saw the same thing happen years ago at a club, only it was a glider. Guy was on final, lined up perfectly. Flew over this huge oak tree located way off the end of the runway. We're all watching this guy come in, when all of a sudden, this huge hawk appears from the tree, makes a B line for the glider, and %$#$##. Glider didnt have a chance. We all fell out laughing. So did the owner of the glider! Needless to say, we paid close attention to that tree in the folowing weeks! lol

[janatle]

OOOOUCH!!!! Where's the videocam when You need it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Colonel Klank]

	Quote: Originally Posted by DKnippen
	You have to watch out for Dogs too. My Hog was snatched By the mutt.

Must have smelled like bacon?

LOL

[toprudder]

Here is a Hawk's eye view.

http://www.higherplaneproductions.co...raMidAirlg.wmv

[wizard]

I have had smaller birds attack mine, to try to "scare" it off. But never a larger bird. I actually fly close to the tree line to mess with the smaller birds.

[Uncle Brett]

I had a similar experience about 25 years ago. I was sloping a Gentle Lady and a hawk was shadowing my plane for about 5 min. when all of the sudden the hawk dove down and punched his talons through the Monokote, grabbed on to the main spar and flew away. He carried that plane for about a 1/2 mile then dropped it into a riverbed. I'd forgotten about that incident untill Bill started this thread . BTW the only damage was ripped Monokote and a busted elevator.

[plaster93]

We fly in a state park that has alot of redtail hawks. A few months ago one of the hawks tried to snack on a 40. size plane.....not a good idea, the hawk got tore up from the APC prop spilling its guts!

[PGR]

'Bout 2 years ago I had a hawk latch onto my 48" Raider at a coastal sloping spot near here. It rode it almost all the way down to the sand before it turned it loose. Somehow, it came out flying and I had to do some serious scratching and clawing (no motor, don'cha know) but I was actually able to fly it back up top and land it.

Several minutes later that hawk flew by with a 3-4' snake in it's grasp. Needless to say, it was probably a much better meal than an old EPP combat wing. I still have that wing and it still looks like hell but I'll be damned if I'll recover it. I'm kinda proud of those talon scars!

Pete