When I was going through VT-10 back during the first Nixon administration,
one of the squadron's UC-45Js was hit by a buzzard during a low level VFR /
NAV hop over scenic southern Alabama.

(I say "hit by" because the Newtonian mechanics of a large - and in this
case, recently well-fed - buzzard striking a C-45 are a lot different than
those of a pointy-nose taking some poor little sparrow against a wing
hardpoint.)

Luckily the damn thing hit the aircraft square between the pilot and
co-pilot positions, with the gooey red ball of feathers, feet and
semi-digested carrion disintegrating on the way through the cockpit and into
the pax compartment. Not unlike the oft-quoted "hitting-the-fan" metaphor -
just different materials in the scatter.

Everyone made it back safely to the VT-10 line at NPA, but if they could
have clawed their way through the concrete the crew would have shed and
buried their flight suits on the spot - such was the stench. I'm not sure
but I think the poor C-45 was stricken due to the level of damage and the
age of aircraft.

Remember: It's called a "Bugsmasher" - not a "Buzzardsmasher." g
--
Mike Kanze

"If it's good enough to get shot at in, it's good enough to wear to
McDonalds."

- CDR Doug "Woody" Beal, USN (Referring to the wearing of military uniform
clothing, like flight suits, off-base.)


"Mary Shafer" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 12 Jan 2004 20:24:32 GMT, Chad Irby wrote:

Rufus wrote:

Ken Duffey wrote:

An item on the BBC news..............

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/3389957.stm

An F-15E from Lakenheath dropped a BDU-33 25lb practice bomb - and
made
an 18 in crater.

Blue death from above!

Little Bitty Blue Death from above!

(Although I did see a guy kill a rattlesnake with a BDU-33 on the
flightline once... yes, it did have a charge in it and yes, the guy was
an idiot.)

I have a friend who killed a raven out on the China Lake range but I
can't remember if he used Blue Death From Above or a real bomb.

Mary

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer