A friend of mine had his ArtHobby "Whip-It" attacked by a Red Tail Hawk. Joe was circling in some weak lift, and the hawk was above him. Suddenly the hawk dove on his plane, and latched onto the wings leading edge. The hawk tore a bite-sized piece out of the leading edge, and then flew away. Joe used a thin piece of plastic to cover the bite area. We figured the circling attracts them. You dont want to have the Ranger see any encounters like this..