There has recently beenmuch attention paid to mid-air collisions of a different sort. Those betweenaircraft and U.F.O.’s – Unidentified Feathered Objects. Bird strike incidentshave resulted in consequences ranging from a dent in the airplane to shatteringof the windshield, incapacitation of the pilot and even fatalities. Mostrecently, an Airbus was rendered disabled by birds shortly after takeoffresulting in a ditching into New York’s Hudson River. The Miracle on theHudson, as the flight is now known, yielded only a few relatively minorinjuries due in no small part to the courageous efforts of the crew. 

Our pilot was a relativelynew aircraft owner with almost 200 hours total time under his belt. In thattime he’s had what he considers two close calls, both of which he believes couldhave been avoided by other pilots making simple position reports. 

During a recent autumnweekend our pilot and his wife decided to take advantage of the beautiful dayand enjoy a leisurely flight to Heber City, Utah to visit friends and proudly showoff them their bright red Kitfox. They took their time performing theirpre-flight checks breaking up the tasks now and again to chat with friends thathad casually stopped by to visit. 

As would usually be the case on a good VFR weekend our pilotand his wife, both pilots, were taking their Katana DA20-A1 on one of theirfavorite flights from Ottawa, Ontario (CYOW) to Lachute, Quebec (CSE4) forbreakfast. Lachute, a small general aviation airport in the Montreal, Quebecarea, is a favorite destination for them because there are plenty of openfields en route (just in case), a relatively low volume of traffic east ofOttawa, a friendly staff, and great breakfasts. They also provide a free taxi serviceinto town and bikes if you want to get some exercise on your way there.