A goose at fl360????

[Corona]

Goose at FL360? Better believe it! Ducks can also go that high. It must be amazing to be hanging out in the wind in the flight levels (not to mention dam*ed cold!). Good thing they have goose down to keep themselves warm!

Another bird fact: Turkey vultures often fall asleep while soaring on thermals. Maybe that's why they are always the stupidest about getting out of our way, unlike the other birds.

Migratory birds can sense the Earth's magnetic field, and also navigate by stellar navigation (follow the stars and constellations and so forth). Over the last century, they have also become adept at recognizing the patterns of city lights. There've been studies on all of these; sorry, don't have the links right now.

Birds is the coolest people, IMO.

C

 

[Corona]

Dang right! Not one bird that I'm aware of has received RVSM certification, therefore they are limited to FL280 and below.

'Sled

LOL! I think they got grandfathered in!

Sidebar: Love the new avatar and signature...no chance of being banned now, eh? (Unless the mods hate Catholics...)

C

 

[moving2vegas]

I repeat Goose @ FL360= BS

http://www.birding.com/BirdRecords1.htm
highest flying bird: Ruppell's griffon vulture at 11,274 in (7 mi)

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/gwr5/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=51479

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/zoo00/zoo00388.htm

11. How high do they fly?
On daily feeding flights they usually fly from 100 to 1,000 feet depending on wind and disturbance from people. When migrating they fly much higher, finding an altitude with a wind that is going their direction. Geese have been seen as high as 9,000 feet.
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/horicon/wildlifegeese.html

Unless we have african vultures in CO, they hit something other than a bird. Sorry Corona....there are no geese (or ducks) at 36,000 ft.

 

[727gm]

I think that the Ruppell's griffon vulture reported altitude was 11,274 m, (metres), not 11,274 in (inches)

 

[moving2vegas]

727...good catch. I just cut and paste the info. Should've read it first I guess.

 

[Dave Benjamin]

What's worse than a goose at 360 is some idiot in a glider in Class A airspace on the RAMMS arrival. Perhaps the goose was caught in some updrafts relating to convective activity?

What I really want to know is the fully laden weight of a European swallow.

 

[GoingHot]

Migratory birds can sense the Earth's magnetic field, and also navigate by stellar navigation (follow the stars and constellations and so forth). C

And I thought they used GPS.

I guess that blows my argument about why they don't fly in the clouds, (VFR-Only GPS).

 

[moving2vegas]

Oh Dave I'm quite sure you know all about the swallow.

 

[Lead Sled]

What's worse than a goose at 360 is some idiot in a glider in Class A airspace on the RAMMS arrival. Perhaps the goose was caught in some updrafts relating to convective activity?

During the annual Monarch butterfy migration it's not uncommon to find them caught in thermals - I've had them splat on the windshield in the low teens.

'Sled

 

[727gm]

I was flying eastbound that night @ FL330 over Colorado, had only fairly strong mountain wave activity.