[Joeaksa]

Kach,

The time to be really worried is about over. The spring/fall migration is when there are a lot of birds moving around, much more so than the rest of the year.

The photo of the engine is a famous one. It landed in FRA and the crew wanted to just put more fuel on the plane and head to the home base, where their maintenance was. They had used cargo tiedowns to "secure" the fan so that it would not turn and cause more damage or catch fire.

German authorities put the nix on that and grounded the plane until a new engine was flown in and installed on the plane.

Birds are a big worry and they can end your day in a big way. Anyone who flies a lot has hit them and its not a pretty sight. Also a new threat is out there. We have been warned that if we injest one or more in an engine that we should turn off the bleed air to that engine. Bleed air is what is used to condition and pressurize the cabin.

Should that bird have the "bird flu virus" there is a small chance that the pax/crew could breathe in some of the bird bits (read blood and other tissue matter) and become infected with the newest flu on the planet.

Just forking wonderful...

JoeA