chicken and the art of flying

[happylanding]

Hello!
I run into a book this afternoon entitled “why girls can’t throw” (the author is Mitchell Symons). And there was a reply to a question (could chicken ever fly and, if so, when did they lose the ability to do so?). Apart from our friend Chuck, would his brothers be able to fly? Maybe you already know the answer, maybe not and I was the only one wondering (apart from the author of the book....)….. Here it’s what I found “All chicken have wings and most (til here nothing new!), in theory can flight. But they weight so much compared to the wingspan (kind of W&B!), so they just can fly not high and not far”. So far, so good. But what about if they did not weight so much? There is no reply, just a tentative, I think. The author says that the flight ability is needed to escape from fox because otherwise they would be…sitting ducks...and he adds that sometimes the wings are trimmed, so that the cannot escape. What about a slim and not overweight chicken? Could he fly greater distances would he?

Have a nice day!

[Roland]

As much as I understand theory of flying a chicken cannot fly. It has no rotary wings. Now, one can say all other birds have no rotary wings ether but they fly. Well, according to my theory they fly just by pure luck. If you see a Spatz (sparrow) with his high weight but short wings. This bird actually is not supposed to fly. So there must be luck. Man can fly. In helicopters.

And why girls can’t throw a stone is very clear. They can’t park a car into a slot ether

[happylanding]

Also the bumblebee (or hornet? I do not remember if it's the right word....the big fat bee with small wings) should not be flying. so, maybe you're right, the just fly by luck, they do not think and just go. but the same then, should apply to helicopters......And I'll tell you something about parking....it is not impossible...the trick is to find the right one (big space, nobody all around and no walls!): done this, no more problems: we can park! 

[Roland]

You won!  I mean about the parking slot. Actually I do it the same way, but never told anybody.

Helicopters fly, I know that. The whole thing why they fly is so complex, I never understood. So finally I listened to one of my instructors who told me that it is senseless to explain it to me so I should believe him: helicopters fly. Well, and since then ….

[Skygal]

As much as I understand theory of flying a chicken cannot fly. It has no rotary wings. Now, one can say all other birds have no rotary wings ether but they fly. Well, according to my theory they fly just by pure luck. If you see a Spatz (sparrow) with his high weight but short wings. This bird actually is not supposed to fly. So there must be luck. Man can fly. In helicopters.

And why girls can’t throw a stone is very clear. They can’t park a car into a slot ether

Young man, as a helicopter mechanic you know perfectly well the "rotary wing" theory is all hogwash----helicoters only give the appearance of flying---fact is, they are so ugly that the Earth repels them...    And parking, well I'll give you that one, I would rather shoot an ILS in a hurricane than try to find a parking spot downtown!

[chuckar101]

Okay not going to get involved in the parking argument, but I believe chickens can't fly is they originate from game birds.  Game birds aren't very efficient fliers in the first place and then breeding and feeding just made it impossioble.  Although I have had a few chickens get high enough to claw my back up.

[fireflyr]

Okay not going to get involved in the parking argument, but I believe chickens can't fly is they originate from game birds. Game birds aren't very efficient fliers in the first place and then breeding and feeding just made it impossioble. Although I have had a few chickens get high enough to claw my back up.

I don't know squat about chickens but I've done a little hunting and among game birds, chukars (now I woulda thought YOU'd known this)are the hardest to hit, the little bustards go like .85 mach and make 90 degree turns when you get the gun on them!

[Sleek-Jet]

Doves have their manuevers down as well. 

Don't ask me how  I know this, but if you throw a chicken off a barn roof, it will do a pretty good auto-rotation... I guess that's kind of flying.

[leiafee]

I think pre domesticated chickens lived liked pheasants in the edges of woods.

I imagine the ones than could fly well didn't get caught and domesticated in the first place... 

[Stef]

I suppose that the flying capacities of a chicken are enough to get up on a tree, which would suffice to get out of the way of most dangers. There are many other birds that can't fly either, that are not domesticated, so I think there's not necessarily a relation there.

But to get back to the subject of parking skills: Chickens are probably even worse at that than flying! 

[Mike]

I wonder how good of a parking job Sally does....
 

[fireflyr]

Doves have their manuevers down as well.  

Don't ask me how  I know this, but if you throw a chicken off a barn roof, it will do a pretty good auto-rotation... I guess that's kind of flying.

(Don't ask me how I know)  BWAAAAAHAHAHAHA-----how high was this barn you threw the poor damn chicken from?

And I'll grant you that doves are really fast and hinky fliers too.   Course I'm not the best shot either Dad used to say I couldn't a bull in the butt with a scoop of rice---

[Sleek-Jet]

(Don't ask me how I know)  BWAAAAAHAHAHAHA-----how high was this barn you threw the poor damn chicken from?

And I'll grant you that doves are really fast and hinky fliers too.   Course I'm not the best shot either Dad used to say I couldn't a bull in the butt with a scoop of rice---

Well, the barn is a bit of embelishment, it was a friends house.   And by auto-rotation I mean they plummet toward tera-firma and then at the last second there's a burst of flapping and feathers, the chicken alights the ground at a resonable decent rate (i.e. not terminal velocity), and doesn't seem the worse for wear.

Any landing you can walk away from...

[fireflyr]

OH Gawd Sleek, You crack me up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can see that you have been interested in aerodynamics from an early age!

Ever watch" WKRP in Cincinnati" when Les Nesman Thought turkeys could fly and threw a bunch out over a crowd in a parrking lot----TOOOO Much!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SkyKing]

Apart from our friend Chuck, would his brothers be able to fly?

Aw, heck, Happy, there's significant debate about whether CHUCK can fly!

I've always loved that line from the "Howard the Duck" movie, when the guy tells Howard that he has millions of years of genetic backround in flying, and Howard says something like "Can you swing from a tree by your tail?"