Don Baccus wrote:

> On the true-story side of the fence, an Israeli F-16 fighter
> pilot had the misfortune to head-on a migrating largish raptor
> at Mach 1++ many years ago in the Mt. Eliat area, which has
> huge concentrations of migrating raptors. Yes, it came
> through the windshield and no, he did not survive.

I once met some RAF pilots, who told me a similar story but with a happier
ending. Part of their training was flying solo in Tornado fighter-bombers,
normally 2 man (no women pilots yet AFAIK) with the navigator in the rear.
Anyway cruising along at a few thousand feet the pilot looked down to read the
map. He heard a muffled thump and when he looked up again the cockpit canopy
had been completely destroyed. The only evidence left was a few body feathers
which didn't give much clue to the identity of the unfortunate bird.

Stuart