Overview
- A private Boeing 737 carrying Elton John and his family on January 23 encountered a diving hawk during takeoff from Farnborough en route to Paris.
- Gillespie delayed rotation near the V1 decision speed to pass beneath the bird, calling the move very unorthodox and potentially life‑saving.
- Cockpit audio and video capture the moment he spots the threat and later informs air traffic control about a large hawk.
- The crew believed rotating as scheduled could have pulled the bird into the left engine; the flight continued to Paris without injuries.
- In a Facebook post sharing the footage, Gillespie said it was his first time delaying liftoff for a bird and suggested two birds were involved.