Fighter Jet Swerves Dramatically to Avoid Birds Near Packed Beach
GIJON, ASTURIAS, JUL 29 – The pilot executed a standard safety protocol to avoid a bird collision, demonstrating rapid response during the annual event featuring a dozen aircraft, organizers said.
- During the Gijón Air Festival over the weekend, the Spanish Air and Space Force said an F-18 executed an evasive maneuver to avoid a flock of birds in Asturias.
- The Spanish Air and Space Force noted its pilots are trained to react in milliseconds, and the maneuver is standard protocol to ensure public safety.
- Footage shows the attendee capturing the F-18 jet rotating slightly, dropping altitude near the shore, then swooping back up before turning upside down and trailing black smoke toward the sea.
- Spanish Air and Space Force thanked attendees after emphasizing safety, stating its pilot showed `exemplary speed and professionalism` in narrowly avoiding a collision.
- In the broader context of wildlife strikes, ICAO data shows at least 270,000 reports globally from 2016 to 2021, just last month a similar incident occurred at the Aire25 airshow in Murcia, southeastern Spain.
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Military jet comes perilously close to crowded beach while avoiding flock of birds
Watch as a military jet spins to avoid a flock of birds that were in its path in Spain. Footage captured on Sunday (July 27) shows the Spanish Air Force EF-18 Hornet fighter performing an “evasive manoeuvre” after detecting the animals, shocking passers-by on the ground below on San Lorenzo Beach. The Spanish Air Force said: “This action is part of standard protocol to protect both the pilot and the safety of the public. “Our pilots are trained …
The episode occurred during the Gijón International Air Festival; the army explained that a flock of birds crossed during the tour
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