wmupilot69

So I was getting a ride to the hotel from a large hub airport. As we had just left the airport perimeter with the window open. In flies a small chickadee, and lands right next to me, and starts freaking out. I did the only thing I cold think of, and throw my hat over the bird. So now we're on the freeway with a freaking out bird, with a hat over it. We managed to flush it out eventually. So I did officially find a use for the hat.

Good story. bored in a ground stop

11Fan

My first bird strike was on a motorcycle.

Poof !

rickair7777

I had that happen once, except it was a very large wasp. And it went down the front of my shirt. I was really hauling ass on a serious mountain road...It took some concentration to stay in control while slowing down and stopping. Somehow I even got the kickstand down instead of dumping the bike to rip my shirt off.

peewee

Hi folks - I apologize ahead of time - I'm not a pilot, other than of RC ariplanes. I have a thing that I can't find an answer to...it's bugged me since it happened. For you all, I'm sure it's simple, but I can't find the technical answer anywhere as a civilian:

I've got an airplane question that's lingered in my mind since January.

So, on the news today, they re-ignited it. The hearings about the Hudson River landing.

I know that big jets have a hydraulic system that runs the control surfaces. Where my confusion is from - I would have figured the engines have to be running to power the hydraulic system. In this case, both engines were killed, but Sully was still able to precisely land the plane in the river.

The space shuttle has auxilliary power units run by hydrazine that run the hydraulic control surfaces, because it glides in by design. They only run the APU's on the way up, and on the way down, due to the calculated supply of hydrazine, and that's the only times they need to use the control surfaces (and the main/solid booster attitude controls).

What about jetliners? How was Sully able to land that plane with both engines dead? I've done internet searches...I cannot find the answer. I am mystified. What's the answer?

I've tried and tried, just can't find out. It's a simple answer, I'm sure to you folks....I can't find.

Sorry again for intruding on this forum...and I won't be back - I'm going to keep asking folks or die trying to know.

floridaCFII

Most transport category aircraft have an Auxillary Power Unit (APU) and at last resort, a Ram Air Turbine (RAT) which can provide power to essential systems.

11Fan

Are you going to stick around long enough for the answer?

Bri85

hahahah

AmericanEagleFO

It depends on the aircraft. Some still have some cables too. Sometimes the hydraulic systems are like power steering, they just relieve the load.

tomgoodman

A Louisiana Air Guard F-102 pilot opened the canopy after landing, and in flies a large owl, causing both of them to freak out. Fortunately, the pilot still had his O2 mask on and visor down.

TBucket

Most places (at least at my airline) run the APU up to 10k or so... So, if you were to lose both engines, you'd have the apu generator to run the electric hydraulic pumps... But even if it weren't, you'd have enough juice in the batteries to make a go of it on a short glide to the hudson... Also, like one of the previous posters said, there's a RAT for electrical power as well... (depending on the jet)