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Video — Owl Landing: 1,000 Frames Per Second

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A high-speed camera (1,000 fps) captures an owl's landing, revealing its exceptional aerial prowess.
  • The owl demonstrates advanced biological flight mechanisms, including variable geometry wings and extendable vortex-generating feathers.
  • Upon touchdown, the owl effectively utilizes a "lift dump" capability, showcasing its impressive piloting skills.
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Think you’re a hot pilot? Compared to other humans, maybe you are, but if you need a little dose of humility, check out this video of an owl coming in for a landing aimed directly at a high-speed camera, which is said to be capturing the scene at 1,000 frames per second, compared to around 30 for conventional video. Some of the things that commenters have noted are the variable geometry wings, the extendable vortex generators (feathers) on the wing leading edge and the lift dump capability upon touchdown. Impressive stuff.

Check out the video below, or click here.

Isabel Goyer

A commercial pilot, Isabel Goyer has been flying for more than 40 years, with hundreds of different aircraft in her logbook and thousands of hours. An award-winning aviation writer, photographer and editor, Ms. Goyer led teams at Sport Pilot, Air Progress and Flying before coming to Plane & Pilot in 2015.

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