Anyone for Parahawking?

[Ozzy the dog]

This seems to be going around the news at the moment and looks like a fantastic experience.

They call it 'Parahawking' where paragliders are accompanied by a trained bird of prey (in this case, a Vulture) to seek out and lead to thermals and so lengthen the flight.

Some might describe Paragliding as flying like the birds but to fly alongside such a magnificent creature must be the ultimate rush.

[mtdmind]

That is real cool, but is that vulture really trained? I had a golden eagle land on my arm and it was quite an experience. This was in a zoo though. The eagle saw me hold some food out for it from some distance and flew to me to get it. Amazing how big their talons are.

[Ozzy the dog]

Originally Posted by mtdmind

That is real cool, but is that vulture really trained? I had a golden eagle land on my arm and it was quite an experience. This was in a zoo though. The eagle saw me hold some food out for it from some distance and flew to me to get it. Amazing how big their talons are.

To have an eagle land on your arm must be wonderful. I've experienced Owls of all sizes and they are beautiful creatures.

As for the question whether the birds are trained or not, apparently, Parahawking was started about 20 years ago by a British falconer in Nepal where it is quite a successful tourist activity. The cost of a flight with a bird is roughly double that of a standard flight with a percentage of the fee going to Vulture conservation in Nepal.

[Fogducker]

Back when I piloted gliders, one looked for a soaring hawk and joined in the thermal, circling in the same, usually clockwise, direction. In the Northern Hemisphere, a low circles CCW. The glider had a better L/D (Glide ratio) than the bird so it outclimbed it. The birds were never concerned and everyone was happy as we climbed higher and higher. Thermals get bigger as one gets higher, in fact clouds marks their tops.

I did all kinds of flying, (floats, wheels, skiis) but I have to say, soaring was the most fun! "Bumps" most folks complain about are really thermals so one just sits back in lounge chair position and fly around in nice silence traveling from one thermal to the next. Make sure to get back to the gliderport before the thermals disappear. NO ONE has ever been stuck up there-----you WILL come down, its best to be where you chose!!

Fog

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by mtdmind

That is real cool, but is that vulture really trained? I had a golden eagle land on my arm and it was quite an experience. This was in a zoo though. The eagle saw me hold some food out for it from some distance and flew to me to get it. Amazing how big their talons are.

We tried to rescue a big Golden that had been struck on the side of a highway and I held it (it was no doubt in shock and offered no resistance ) while my wife drove us to the vet. But unfortunately its back was broken and had to euthanized. They are indeed magnificent creatures

Trained well yes sort of .... If imprinted it is quite possible they just follow their human instinctually , this guy has been doing it for 20 years

[mtdmind]

The eagle that was in the zoo had only one eye. Someone damaged it. It's other eye was still impressive!

[frankmcr]

Vultures are carrion eaters, not predators.

[RedJoker]

We have an old shed on our property and we have baby black vultures every year. They tend to use the same locations year after year so I like to think I've seen whole generations.

frankmcr is correct that turkey vultures are almost exclusively carrion eaters but black vultures can be predators and will attack baby farm animals.

Flying with them would be amazing!

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

Vultures are carrion eaters, not predators.

Geese are neither scavenger or predator, but the concept of flying with them is still way cool