painted stork landing !

 Even for those used to flying regularly – landing of a plane is thrilling !! 

The painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala) is a large wader in the stork family. It is found in the wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia south of the Himalayas in the Indian Subcontinent and extending into Southeast Asia. Their distinctive pink tertial feathers of the adults give them their name. They forage in flocks in shallow waters along rivers or lakes. They immerse their half open beaks in water and sweep them from side to side and snap up their prey of small fish that are sensed by touch. As they wade along they also stir the water with their feet to flush hiding fish. They nest colonially in trees, often along with other waterbirds. The only sounds they produce are weak moans or bill clattering at the nest. They are not migratory and only make short distance movements in some parts of their range in response to changes in weather or food availability or for breeding. Like other storks, they are often seen soaring on thermals.  

Landing is the last part of a flight, where a flying animal, aircraft, or spacecraft returns to the ground. When the flying object returns to water, the process is called alighting, although it is commonly called "landing", "touchdown"a or "splashdown".  A normal aircraft flight would include several parts of flight including taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise, descent and landing.

 

To land, the airspeed and the rate of descent are reduced such that the object descends at a low enough rate to allow for a gentle touch down. Landing is accomplished by slowing down and descending to the runway. This speed reduction is accomplished by reducing thrust and/or inducing a greater amount of drag using flaps, landing gear or speed brakes. 

A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Fort Lauderdale returned to Havana Sunday after the aircraft was reportedly struck by a bird and cellphone video showed smoke filling the cabin. Southwest flight 3923 returned to José Martí International Airport after passengers reported the engine catching fire mid-flight.  The video on media showed  smoke filling the cabin and the oxygen masks released. Passengers are heard yelling in panic. A man tries to identify all children on board, as parents frantically explain to their kids they must wear the masks. As the plane landed, passengers clapped and cheered. The plane safely returned to Havana.

 
With regards – S.Sampathkumar
6.3.2023