Herding chickens

[Fox Mike]

Bob's post about chickens reminded me of a 'chicken episode' many years ago. As an enlisted man and being on flight status I was required to accumulate a specific number of flight hours each month or not recieve my flight pay. A pilot (who shall remain un-named) and I were flying an AFTP (Additional Flight Training Period) in an OH-6A and noticed a chicken farm below us. "Lets make a low pass over it" was our agreed decision. Down we went at about 90 mph and leveled off at about 20 feet and across the chicken yard. One VERY LARGE group of chickens, feathers, dirt, grass, and anyones guess what else went from one end of this rather long yard to the other. Feathers everywhere! Why not get them back to where they were when we first saw them, was our next decision? Did a 180 and back across the chicken yard again with the same results. Chickens, feathers (lots of them), dirt, grass, and whatever everywhere. Left and when we returned to the flight facility the Operations Officer sent a runner with instructions that we were to report to him prior to leaving. Major Calhoun (the same officer that gave me my 'handle' here) said;"Fox Mike, where did you two go on your flight? I told him the route and that we landed and got a burger at a specific airport. He them asked if we buzzed a chicken farm? Of course I had no idea what he was speaking about. Next the pilot was grilled and told the same basic story. Neither of us ever spoke of that night till years later when we happened to meet, and laughed a LOT.

 

[Bob Wright]

As to the "whatever" a friend of mine has chickens and once remarked that they were never pestered by bugs. Then added, "But watch where you step, though."

Bob Wright

 

[contender]

Apparently,, buzzing such farms was more common than you'd think. One of my Flt Platoon aircraft & crew buzzed a turkey farm. It caused several to die. And,, the crew involved,, could not get away with it.
Apparently,, not only did the farmer get a partial tail number,, he also was able to put some buckshot in the Huey. Buckshot holes in a Huey at Ft. Hood was not a common thing.
The pilots involved got punished. And we were ALL given a set of coordinates to NOT fly over. It was the turkey farm.
It went along with the "no-fly" zone over the nude shoreline of Lake Travis.

 

[Jeepnik]

The Mojave river had a few places known for “taking the sun”. On weekends we’d fly “training” hops to practice search procedures. Never a single complaint from the local citizens.

Sounds like you guys just didn’t choose the right targets.

 

[Kevin]

Fox Mike,
That’s a great story, thanks for sharing it.

 

[Fox Mike]

Contender's story brought to mind another 'never do' ! My good friend was the crewchief on a UH-1M. He and the pilots were over the beach at Ocean City Maryland. One low level, high speed pass is cool but don't do the same going the other way. They did. Someone got their tail number and turned them in. Pilot, copilot, and the crewchief were fined and grounded. Much like flying UNDER the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Another crew did just that. Once and go, you can get away with it but don't return; they did. Again that entire crew was fined and grounded.

 

[The A Team]

One time about 20 years ago some dingbat in a single engine plane was dive bombing my parents barn a number of times. I wasn’t sure of the legality of shooting at him or I might have done so.

 

[32magfan]

I began my career in the poultry industry or “chicken business” in Northeast North Carolina in 1991. I was in a house with about 25,000 broiler or meat chickens one afternoon when a Navy jet flew over top of it at low level. I swear chickens hit the ceiling they were so scared. I was choking on dust and feathers for several minutes. I then spent several minutes trying to move the pileup from the back of the house so they wouldn’t smother each other.
I reported this to upper management at my company. Someone got word through to a Congressman and the Navy jets used the chicken houses as navigational aids from a more appropriate distance after that.

32Magfan

 

[Colonialgirl]

Freight trains atop the bluff above the NUDE beach South of Santa Barbara, CA use to move at extremely slow speeds with Engineer, Fireman and Brakeman ALL at the the windows GAWKING at the sights on the beach below.

 

[g5m]

Funny stories here, Guys. Thanks.

 

[bobsyouruncle]

TOPLESS CHICKS IN MINI SKIRTS

 

[WAYNO]

Tail Numbers?.....

One of my pilots on a night training mission decided to peek into his wifes window, via the search light of the UH-1H he was flying. He was low enough, a neighbor just happened to see the tail number, reported it, and this pilot never flew an Army bird ever again. My pilots, many of them were very young, and sometimes they were up to shenanigans.

While he was grounded pending investigation, he ended up crashing a civilian airplane when he and his wife were flying home from Christmas leave.


Another, happier time... A couple Cobra pilots were planning a cross-country. At the time, Coors Beer was not available in Washington State. Their plan, take orders for Coors beer, fly to Idaho, and fill up their rocket tubes with beer. They ended up refunding the orders, as the trip never happened.

Fox Mike... I appreciate this thread. I flew a lot and I got very close with my pilots. I miss them.




.

 

[Armybrat]

Apparently,, buzzing such farms was more common than you'd think. One of my Flt Platoon aircraft & crew buzzed a turkey farm. It caused several to die. And,, the crew involved,, could not get away with it.
Apparently,, not only did the farmer get a partial tail number,, he also was able to put some buckshot in the Huey. Buckshot holes in a Huey at Ft. Hood was not a common thing.
The pilots involved got punished. And we were ALL given a set of coordinates to NOT fly over. It was the turkey farm.
It went along with the "no-fly" zone over the nude shoreline of Lake Travis.

Ah, Hippie Hollow!

BTW - We were stationed at Camp Hood in ‘48-‘49 when Dad was a battalion commander in the 2nd Armored.
I’m the little shaver standing with Dad

 

[contender]

HH,, yep!

 

[Hvymax]

As to the "whatever" a friend of mine has chickens and once remarked that they were never pestered by bugs. Then added, "But watch where you step, though."

Bob Wright

One of my neighbors released a flock of Guinea Hens. It took a few years for predators to get onto them. I didn't see a tick for years when they were around!!!