[Towed_Jumper]

OK, let's just get this one out of the way: "As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."

Too bad the animal rights activists have no sense of humor. I guess "Bombs Away!" is not appropriate as the FAA has concluded that "the turkeys are not considered projectiles!"

Now to me this post could use some pictures, unfortunately, I'm not that smart when it comes to using html.

[NorthMountain]

The agency hasn’t intervened in past years because the birds aren’t considered projectiles.

I'm more than a little curious to know the reasoning behind this determination.

[OttawaFreeper]

Oh my, did he get inspiration from the “WKRP in Cincinnati” episode?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"The Pinedale Mall is being BOMBED with live turkeys! We go to a live report from our man on the scene, Les Nessman."

[txrefugee]

Have they thought of dropping Rose Hilliard out of the plane?

[KC_Lion]

[Buckeye McFrog]

As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.

[Rurudyne]

One of the funniest 30 minutes in television ever.

... there obviously needs to be common sense turkey control laws to prevent these tragedies.

[Sacajaweau]

I’ve seen them fly at my daughters property in upstate NY.

[KarlInOhio]

I’ve seen this story a couple of times and I still don’t know if they dropped wild or domesticated turkeys. The first can fly while the second will only plummet like a bad of wet cement.

[dljordan]

That’s how Tennessee re-introduced them by dropping them from a Cessna. That’s what I heard anyway.

[MinuteGal]

I'll be blunt...anyone who throws live turkeys out of airplanes is sick...and I don't see anything funny in this whole subject at all.

Leni

[Pontiac]

"As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."

Well Les, wild turkeys can fly.

However the domesticated birds can't fly to save their lives, as you learned.

And the domestic birds can weigh about twice or more the wild bird.

[Pontiac]

"As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."

Well Les, wild turkeys can fly.

However the domesticated birds can't fly to save their lives, as you learned.

And the domestic birds can weigh about twice or more the wild bird.

[deport]

A previous thread with different source and 60+ comments

Dropping turkeys from planes triggers Arkansas festival flap ^

FR HTML SANDBOX 2015 - Learn all about posting images

[Mr. K]

Was Les Nessman there to announce it?

“My God they’re hitting the cars like sacks of wet cement!... Oh the humanity!!!”

[alternatives?]

They were making it easier for the birds to fly. The birds didn’t have to expend any energy to take off.

[Robert DeLong]

"As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."

Well that is because they can fly. Just not for long distances.

[UCANSEE2]

[MinuteGal]

Live wild turkey, not domesticated ones, are used for being tossed out of airplanes in this festival held in an Arkansas town every year. They used to toss them from the top of the courthouse....now it's from a plane.

These heavy birds can fly, but generally, in their normal lives, they fly from tree top to tree top at altitudes up to around 100 feet.

The plane's much higher altitude and being thrown out can stress them out and cause disorientation.

Last year two died on impact, this year four were found injured and bleeding on the ground.

Yes, they DID die and splat on impact like bags of cement at a similar festival in another state.

I'm not PETA, don't have pets.... but I certainly can't find any cause to champion such twisted treatment of living creatures and I can't find humor in it all as evinced by some on this thread.

To each his own, I guess.

Leni

[CodeToad]

Oh, he violated a few regs there, guaranteed.

(Federal Aviation Regulation, FAR)

FAR Sec. 91.15 — Dropping objects.
No pilot in command of a civil aircraft may allow any object to be dropped from that aircraft in flight that creates a hazard to persons or property. However, this section does not prohibit the dropping of any object if reasonable precautions are taken to avoid injury or damage to persons or property.