…I would look at the GPS one minute and it would tell me I had an hour and 30 minutes to go. Ten minutes later it was telling me we were 2 hours out.
The temperature was in the low 50’s and was warmer higher up so the birds were feeling the heat. The last three in my line of five had their beaks open and we’re panting for the entire trip….
…Before the birds were released, Geoff and Colleen boxed numbers 4 and 10 until the other five birds were on course with me. Then they were released and Brooke took off with them. They didn’t turn back once as he climbed up behind us. This was their first real flight and he managed to get them to 2500 feet.
Every year one bird rises to the top of our favorite list but this year there is one at the bottom of mine. Number 7-14 likes to be lead and she dominates the position right behind the wingtip. She rides along, hardly ever flapping her wings while all the birds behind her have to work progressively harder. But she is never content with the prime position. Instead she likes to screw around….
…A little maneuvering and I can get them back into place but then she started pulling on the string that holds in the wingtip batten. I was afraid she would pull it out and I would lose that important part so we had a little battle at 2000 feet….
http://operationmigration.org/InTheField/2014/12/02/lead-pilot-report-15/