This is no lie and I have witnesses (this was the first time I took my son out to fly).

It usually gets fairly windy at our club (Bayside, Fremont, CA) in the afternoon. It is actually a very fun time to pull out the ol' Avistar trainer and have fun with it.

I was actually doing a very slow landing to see how long the wind would hold me up when a squirrel ran right across the runway (the local club squirrels will actually sit on your lap and eat out of your hands). Anyway, I hit the poor thing with one of my wheels, the plane bounced up and over, the squirrel did a couple of somersaults, got up and ran to the pipe under the taxiway. No harm, no foul. Luckily it didn't get hit by my prop and all's well that ends well.

By the way, did you know if you flip your wing of an Avistar upside down, it will fly. I also have video AND an extra $50 from the bets I made.

Have fun...this is what's it about.

It is good to see that the little rodent was not injured.
I will have to remember the Avistar bet.
Maybe a good way to pick up enough money for a digital servo!

post the vid, i have a problem with squirrels

I have heard that a squirrel always runs uphill. If you put one on your plane will it correct the CG in flight?

Nose heavy runs to the tail........tail heavy runs to the nose........

Isn't it illegal in some states to hunt from airplanes

I like squirrels, with BBQ sauce

Hey the squirrel wanted to go hang gliding.

I've heard that there are flying squirrels in Asia. Are you sure he wan't just using your runway for a landing ? Glad you didn't really hurt the little critter.

Maybe the little guy thought he was late for his flight?

Hey man let me ON I tell YA!!!!!

Just a variation on the DODGE THE CAR game.

post the video!!

I swear that this is true .. I have a witness that will back me up on this.

I was at one of the shows in the South West of England - very nice location, the resident club had bought their own field and had laid a nice runway - they had a club house etc (which is pretty rare over here - most clubs rent their field and generally have no facilities at all).

Anyway - part of the display was a chap flying a rather big 3-d model. However he mis-judged the landing and the field completely - eventually putting the model down in an adjacent field full of cows - I'm not sure but I think that he managed to hit one of the poor animals square in the back end. The startled animal took off for all its worth - followed by the all the others. They ran for something like 50-100 yards, put the bakes on and stopped dead in their tracks. They then all turned around and took a long hard look, before they one by one, walked back to where the undamaged plane was sitting. First they started sniffing at it - then all of a sudden they started stamping up and down on it - they had a real fun time. By the time the pilot got to the aircraft - it was well and truly smashed to bits.

There must be a moral to this story - but I can't think of one just yet!

I take it that the squirrel you hit was the North American Grey variety? We have a major problem over here - the grey squirrel has virtually wiped out our own cute red squirrel population. The grey's are now classified as vermin and can be shot on sight - so if you manage to perfect the taking-out of these furry bundles of fun with your avistar - then come over to the UK and have some real sport!

Do you mean to say that you strapped the wing on upside down and then flew? If so, I think I have an idea for my club's next funfly!

Think about this for a moment. R/C airplanes must undoubtedly look like a bird of prey to a squirrel. So this damn thing runs into the runway, right under an airplane (the size of a Falcon mind you) doing an ultra slow landing.

Isn’t this definitive proof that squirrels are suicidal? Why else would they dart out in front of cars at the last minute? When they do depart with what appears to be plenty of time to get to the other side of the road, they immediately cut back giving a driver a second crack.

The only other explanation is they have the human male mentality, doing daring crap to impress the ladies. “You think that was cool, watch this� WHAP!
That second brain will get you into trouble every time.[&o]

Someone on here has their signature as....

"The road of life is filled with squirrels who couldn't make up their mind"

Enjoy,
Jim

Yeah, the grey squirrels are a bit prolific here, but not a problem. What is a problem, I have heard, are prairie dogs. Check out [link=http://www.dogbegone.com]Prairie Dog Begone[/link]. WARNING! There is graphic footage of prarie dogs being exterminated by an accurate shooter, and captured on film on that site. I think it's pretty amazing footage to see.

2 things:

We have a HUGE problem with squirrels here (Fremont, CA -- www.baysiderclub.com). As a matter of fact, there are some very resident squirrels that have been named (Nick -- chunk out of one ear, Fat Albert -- the only squirrel to eat more frech fries than me -- this is the one that will just climb on your lap like a kitten).

Our site is a plowed field so we have all sorts of critters, hawks, eagles, burrowing owls (protected), and every once in awhile, a fox or coyote. The hawks getting the squirrels all get cheered.

The other -- Yes...perfect for fun fly on the upside down wing. I took my wing off to adjust something and it was laying on top of the fuse upside down. A buddy of mine made the comment, "I wonder if it will fly like that". WRONG thing to say with me! Actually, the Avistar flies just as well inverted as right side up so I figured what the heck. It flew fine -- it needed a lot of trim on the elevator as it wanted to dive (just as an inverted plane would do). Once it was trimmed, it flew straigt and level -- DON'T DO ROLLS! AND I had only one aileron (I got so excited about trying this, I forgot to hook up one of my aileron push rods). It takes a fast landing...but it works.

LOL. Hawks getting squirrels gets cheers. What a morbid club. [sm=stupid.gif]

I'd fit right in.

sounds like you should contact that insurence company that advertises the squirrels running out in front of the car ...........you might be onto a new slogan for them????or new buiss!!!!!!!

That one I didn't even think of.

Zippo, Woodsprings right?? fact is cows like the taste of glow fuel
we've got a GREAT! video on our club site www.rcflyers.net of a 10 size shrike hitting a sheep. What you dont see is the sheep runs for just a few feet before turning round, bleating at the wreckage then start eating again. we've had a few cow touches while cattle hurding prophanging style and more than once the sheep get on our nice green patch and get their asses wacked by landing wings.

Man is'int this a rough crowd????

Haven't hit anything living with a plane yet but I killed a squirrel with a RC truck. Ran right out in front of it. That and a crow ran into an electric plane I was flying, I swear, it hit me! Ran into the back of the plane. Both flew away fine.

we had squirrels burrow into our attic so I have no love for them.

now if I didnt live in suburbia I could take care of them easy but since we live in nazi NJ we had to live catch them and release them in a local park. but that took forever and with alot of damage resulting to the house (chewed through part of the roof and caused a major leak.)

The biggest problem at our field is the canadian geese. stupid things will sit all across the field and block the runway... you can buzz them at 5 feet and they wont move.. but once you are on the ground they all run and take flight.

I only know of one midair with them though.

With the geese, you can call the game warden to have them removed. You don't dare want to fool with them, as far as harming them. Case in point, a golfer playing at a local country club in a tournament got fustrated, and slung his golf club down range. There was a Canadian Goose on the fairway that was struck by the flying club. Now, the odds that the golfer intentionally threw his club at the goose are pretty good, but the fact that he hit it had all sorts of people up in arms. Supposedly one of the members of his playing group was disgusted, and dropped out of the tourney. Others had the president of the club and tourney director asking for the offenders resignation from the club.

Thu, Nov. 13, 2003, Posted on the Macon Telegraph's Web site

Wildlife officials investigate Macon golfer who hit goose
By Sharon E. Crawford and Gray Beverley
Telegraph Staff Writers

A frustrated local golf champion tossed his club during a tournament at Healy Point Country Club last weekend and struck a Canada goose; now state wildlife officials want to know what happened to the goose.

Healy Point officials initially said they thought the goose had died, now they say they don't know.

Robert Peacock, a conservation ranger with the Department of Natural Resources, said Wednesday that he's investigating whether the goose was hit deliberately. He described the incident as unusual.

"It's something I've heard of, but have never seen," Peacock said. "If we determine (the golfer) did deliberately kill the animal, he could be charged with killing a goose out of season."

Peacock said state rangers visited the golf course Wednesday to interview witnesses and search for the bird.

Macon golfer Lee Gerdes, who admits striking the bird accidentally, said he has not been interviewed by DNR officials.

He said he regrets the incident.

"I wish that it hadn't happened," he said.

Gerdes was playing Sunday in the final round of a two-day championship between members of Healy Point Country Club and Idle Hour Country Club. On the third hole, Gerdes said, he hit his second shot into water along the left side of the hole.

Gerdes said he decided to take a penalty stroke rather than attempt to hit the ball. He said his next shot landed on the green, but he threw his club in frustration.

The club hit the goose, which was in the fairway about 40 feet away, said Gerdes. He admitted throwing the club toward the goose but said he did not intend to hit it.

Gerdes said a member of his foursome quit in protest. Gerdes said he placed the injured goose in the water.

Healy Point general manager Jerry Ernst said Wednesday that the goose appeared to be in a lot of pain and could be heard "squealing."

Ernst said someone called the DNR about the incident, and "this has kind of taken (on) a life of its own."

He said the country club is considering a change in the bylaws to prohibit a member from harming wildlife on the premises.

"It's a very strange thing," Ernst said. "In all the years I've been in this business, I've never heard of an animal getting killed by a golf club."

According to the DNR's Web site, Canada geese are common in Georgia and are not considered to be endangered animals. Traditionally, Canada geese flew through Georgia on their way to Florida. But in the late 1970s, the DNR made a concerted effort to bring more geese into the state.

Georgia's Canada goose population is estimated at 45,000 birds, who usually live on golf courses, beaches, lawns, housing developments and man-made ponds in subdivisions and apartment complexes.

Canada geese are protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act. Killing one without a permit or out of season can be a state offense and carry a fine.

Ernst said the country club paid DNR officials to remove 75 Canada geese from the area this year because of a large population of the birds. He said there are usually three or four geese swimming in the pond near hole 3.

"They're very pretty and part of nature," Ernst said. "That's the one benefit about golf is that it brings you back to nature. ... They go hand and hand."

Gregg Feigelson, director of the Coalition to Prevent the Destruction of Canada Geese, said his office gets at least one or two reports a year about golfers who intentionally kill Canada geese.

"It usually causes an uproar, and it should," Feigelson said. "I think it shouldn't be something people ignore."

Peacock said he also could turn the case over to the Jones County Sheriff's Office if it is determined animal cruelty was involved. He expects to conclude the investigation this week.

Gerdes, who won the Macon Middle Georgia golf championship in August, said golfers should control their tempers and their clubs.

"They shouldn't be thrown is the moral of the story," he said. "The sad part about the story is that you have an animal who's injured."



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To contact Sharon E. Crawford, call 744-4384 or e-mail [email protected].


Be warned! [sm=drowning.gif]