I took a long flight today over a park area, then to a friend’s house to see if they were out on their deck. Viewing the video, I see a Red Tailed hawk making a very close encounter.  In the first screen grab, his talons are out, apparently rotated over. Then he just leaves.  Whew!  I could have lost my MA2! Perhaps he or she has a nest nearby. Wonderful but scary!

Looks like you forgot something.

Woe Posted at 7-2 18:32
Looks like you forgot something.

?  
The screen grabs are too large to upload here.  

until you resize your screen grab...  one in my neighborhood has me on ALERT!!!

Hello there bob37. Thank you for reaching out and for sharing these information with us. Just a reminder that birds are part of our environment and I'm sure they're not familiar to the drones that is why they react aggressively when they notice it. Thank you and please fly safe always.

When my Red tail neighbor's show up I drop to my return to home elevation and beat feet back to my LZ below the tree tops their direction. If I spot them before take off I stick to flying in my field. Fortunately their nest is further up the draw from my few zone. I wrote a little piece about sharing the woods with my neighbors on the Mini side. The crows help alert me when their soaring because their nest are the first on the chow line being near the top of tree also. The only time a hawk would mess with a crow is if a chick fell out. This has been the fourth season for this pair.

Akirasho Posted at 7-2 19:57
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until you resize your screen grab...  one in my neighborhood has me on ALERT!!!

Booted Eagle I believe. Enjoy flying Mini /Air 2

Akirasho Posted at 7-2 19:57
[view_image]

until you resize your screen grab...  one in my neighborhood has me on ALERT!!!

Awesome shot

I have 2 friends.... Same tower...mom and dad
Note i am not that close just really cropped in

Was flying at a field for models, had four strobes, Red, Green, and two White, top and bottom, had just brought the drone in to land it, but stopped short and about 10 feet away from me, when the "local" hawk, (which has seen many airplanes and drones) circled my drone, checking it out, (I think especially the strobe lights), then came with-in a couple feet of my face, and just as I was ducking, it screeched and flew to a nearby tree.  I think it was trying to tell me either how nice the craft looked with all the lights, or to say "Get out of here!"  

I love these stories - but it leaves me worried.  iI want to fly from a hilltop as far as my new MA2 can go until it looses signal, but what if i cross some hawk's territory and he/she takes it down!  It will be WAY out of sight.  Makes me worried for sure.

No worries your drone doesn't look like a plump rabbit or squire or nice fat dove. Lets not forget all birds of prey strike from above. Fledglings may get close but like most youngers their still trying to figure out how to use those things called wings. Trying to keep it on the light side of the hazards we share the sky with. Enjoy the skies. Crows and starling are a bigger isusse inland.

3Recon Posted at 7-5 17:43
No worries your drone doesn't look like a plump rabbit or squire or nice fat dove. Lets not forget all birds of prey strike from above. Fledglings may get close but like most youngers their still trying to figure out how to use those things called wings. Trying to keep it on the light side of the hazards we share the sky with. Enjoy the skies. Crows and starling are a bigger isusse inland.

This remind me of a bit of anecdotal advice... go up!  Raptors can stoop down, but not up!  Get above.  Most other agile birds will have difficulty going up!

Aw I did say birds of prey and their attack is mostly going to be from above if not aware. I've watch them chase down a snake which is funny watching.  Just trying to reassure poster. and like they said if it fills it may be a nesting or roost area stay clear.

bob37 Posted at 7-5 16:12
I love these stories - but it leaves me worried.  iI want to fly from a hilltop as far as my new MA2 can go until it looses signal, but what if i cross some hawk's territory and he/she takes it down!  It will be WAY out of sight.  Makes me worried for sure.

There was a very nice video of hawk and drone on this site many months back, where the hawk checked out the drone that was keeping an eye on the hawk.  there was a wind and the hawk came to a position across from the drone, and they enjoyed the winds together.  True story.