Terrifying New Weapon
Well, the Russians may have perfected a new "vacuum bomb", but the Animal Uprising™ has already beat them. Because the Russians need airplanes to deliver their explosives. The animals have perfected the anti-aircraft deer.
Flying an airplane takes a command of certain skills, but being able to dodge a deer isn't typically considered one of them.
A UVSC-owned Diamond DA42 Twin Star plowed into the deer at 1 a.m. on Aug. 22 while landing, said Mario Markides, UVSC flight operations manager. As part of the training program, pilots fly during the day and night.
Damage to the plane is estimated at $50,000, and lost potential student rental fees could run as high as $30,000.
While no one was hurt but the deer, which died, it makes for an expensive problem. The airport has fencing around its roughly 1,000 acres, but deer still manage to get through. In the daytime, pilots can see the animals from the air and can take steps to avoid them. But at night they can't be seen until the last moment.
"The big problem is you can't swerve," Markides said.
On Monday morning, Provo Animal Control officers responded to a call that deer were on the runway, but eventually the incident was turned over to the state Division of Wildlife Resources.
The father of all bombs is no match for the antlers of doom.
The father of all bombs is no match for the antlers of doom.
By Lars Walker, Wednesday, 12 September , 2007 @ 5:20 pm
Oh phoo. Planes collide with deer all the time.
Especially around Christmas.