Reaction of Animals to Phantoms..

[Topeeka]

I'm wondering what sort of animal (NOT human animals!!) responses Phantom owners have observed when you are flying your craft over or around animals. On this thread, and in a few YouTube videos, I've seen or read a few things...I saw a YT video of a Phantom flying above some cattle who were running away from the Phantom...as if being herded...and I've also seen a posting about a flight over some horses and the report there was that the horses saw the Phantom and more or less, watched it with some curiosity...Hmmm??? I know that different animals have totally different reactions to outside stimulations, so what have your experiences been?? I'm sure that no Phantom Pilots try to harass any unlucky creatures....but I'd like to hear about any chance encounters you might have had. I can sure understand how a mole, shrew, mouse or rabbit might view a noisy, raptor shaped object flying overhead as a real threat...but....does anyone have any observations about this??

 

[jadebox]

Our dog seldom barks or growls at anything. But, he barks at my PV when it's in the air and growls at it when it lands. All the while, though, he doesn't assume an aggressive posture. So, it's hard to tell if he's scared of it, trying to boss it around, or wanting to play with it. In any case, we have to keep him on a leash when I'm landing the 'copter.

-- Roger

 

[Topeeka]

It sounds like he might be thinking that you have supplied him with the "Ultimate Doggy Chew Toy"....$$$$$$...! I think the leash is a good plan...!

 

[Peter Patricelli]

So far my experience is that the reaction is all over the map. My dog goes on walks with my Phantom. But you have to understand that animals, especially wild animals, react to things not so much for what they are but how they are acting, vis-à-vis aggressive or benign. A bald eagle NOT in a hunting mode can fly over flocks of ducks and no reaction. But in a hunting mode, and there is "body language" reading going on there at a level we cannot perceive, they scatter while it is a mile away. Same for lions and antelope on the African plains.

I have flown my bird cautiously around flocks of geese and eventually landed right in the middle of them....though they gave it a lot of space. But charge right at them from first sight far away and they flee en mass from a distance.

I have been doing more and more video of horses in an enclosed horse arena. They are basically curious. But they don't like it directly over their heads where they can't see it and feel the rotor wash.

But from my experience, if one animal/bird panics and flees instantly, then the others follow suit, I suppose thinking, "I'm not sure what this is but that guy must have had a bad experience and knows more.....or some ungulate/avian version of that thought.

 

[Topeeka]

Peter...your comments / observations are valuable....and I think it was your posting about the horses in the arena that I referenced. Thanks for adding that note about the prop wash from overhead making them uncomfortable....good to know that.
I wonder what a group of horses in a pasture might do...that 'herd instinct' you refer to, might take hold then....

I think it's amazing that you could land your bird in a flock of geese...!! Got video of that?? >G<

Thanks for your posting...

 

[miskatonic]

Every dog in my neighborhood freaks out the second my motors start.

 

[Peter Patricelli]

"I think it's amazing that you could land your bird in a flock of geese...!! Got video of that??"

Here are two sequences joined of wild geese reacting to my Ph. In the first these were big, magnum-sized Western Canadas and, AFTER A CAUTIOUS APPROACH, they were not intimidated....you can see them hissing and posturing defensively. I COULD have landed....but they might have attacked the Ph on the ground. At this point I did NOT have FPV....to see close-up, real-time, what was happening. I think, with some testing, I COULD consistently intimidate these big guys and get them to flee....which would REALLY create a commercial value for the PH.

In the second sequence, these are small Cackling geese, not much bigger than a duck (which uniformly flee)...and are more skittish. I approached more carefully. You can see their reaction. I clearly could have landed. Again, no FPV at this time.

http://flyfishingfotography.smugmug.com ... &k=xSPd4mM

At other times I have had flocks vacate the area the moment the Ph lifts into the air. More testing required. Please note, harassing geese, or other birds, is technically illegal. it just so happens that in the southern Willamette valley area around me massive flocks of geese have created a serious impact on the grass seed industry and various harassment methods are used continuously. No one is going to get on my case for this....here. If I did this enough I might get a medal.

The second video has a section showing my lab on a walk flying the Ph just ahead of me. I probably could, with a little training, hook her leash to the Ph and just let the bird to her walking. She likes it! In this video is also some ducks and a Bald Eagle reacting to the Ph.

http://flyfishingfotography.smugmug.com ... &k=HDcfZR3

 

[Topeeka]

Thanks for both of those...and I totally understand the attitudes there about Canada Geese....and their noise, aggression and 'residue'....a problem in many places...

It was interesting to see the fairly relaxed way the wildfowl reacted to the Phantom...more like merely moving out of the way as opposed to 'fleeing'...! I liked the ending shot of your dog trying for a closer look at the Phantom....great color in your video and a beautiful home and setting....much appreciated..!

 

[Firestat]

There is a stray cat that just loves to watch it fly, at a distance. When the PV down, she will walk over to it and sniff it, get bored and walk away.