Spreading his wings to fly: Clark the bald eagle ‘shows off a bit’ as he goes through airport security in Charlotte after deciding to give his ‘wings a break and go commercial’
- Clark, a bald eagle with the World Bird Sanctuary, got in line like everyone else to go through a checkpoint in North Carolina, as seen via Twitter
- The TSA’s official account for airports in the region even remarked on his appearance
- ‘Our special guest was Clark the Eagle with the World Bird Sanctuary, who decided to give his wings a break and fly commercial,’ they wrote
- Clark was hatched with deformities on his feet, so he joined the World Bird Sanctuary’s Eagle Flight Team and is one of WBS’ flying ambassadors
- A spokesman for TSA says he’s also witnessed baby cougars, penguins and even a ‘service chicken’ with dyed feathers go through their checkpoints
A bald eagle decided to give its wings a rest to fly the friendly skies like the rest of us, as it surprised TSA agents at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Clark, a 19-year-old bald eagle with the World Bird Sanctuary, got in line with his handlers on Monday to go through a checkpoint in North Carolina, as seen via Twitter.
The TSA’s official account for airports in the region even remarked on his appearance.
They wrote: ‘TSA officers are used to seeing an eagle on their uniform as they look over their shoulder, but I’m sure the team at @CLTAirport Checkpoint A did a double take when they saw a real one earlier this week.
‘Our special guest was Clark the Eagle with the World Bird Sanctuary, who decided to give his wings a break and fly commercial. His airline notified us and we screened him and his handler. Clark is trained to spread his wings, and even showed off a bit during screening.’
A bald eagle decided to give its wings a rest to fly the friendly skies like the rest of us, as Clark (pictured) surprised TSA agents at Charlotte Douglas International Airport earlier this week
![Clark, a bald eagle with the World Bird Sanctuary, got in line with his handlers earlier this week to go through a checkpoint in North Carolina](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/26/14/61756935-11149365-Clark_a_bald_eagle_with_the_World_Bird_Sanctuary_got_in_line_wit-m-13_1661521776685.jpg)
Clark, a bald eagle with the World Bird Sanctuary, got in line with his handlers earlier this week to go through a checkpoint in North Carolina
It wasn’t a total surprise, as Clark’s handlers called in advance to prepare the agents for his flight.
Clark’s story is a unique one, according to the WBS website: ‘While all of Clark’s siblings were successfully released into the wild, Clark was hatched with scale deformities on his feet. The deformities meant that Clark’s feet would not be properly protected from the cold during the winter, and he would suffer from things like frostbite and loss of toes.’
Because of his disabilities, he joined the World Bird Sanctuary’s Eagle Flight Team and is one of the organization’s flying ambassadors.
In a video that has gotten thousands of views on Twitter, one person can be heard celebrating the bald eagle’s presence by mentioning a cleaned-up version of a song from the film Team America: World Police, muttering ‘America, heck yeah’.
Elijah Burke was the man singing along and called it ‘a sight to see’ while coming home from attending a wedding with his girlfriend, according to the Charlotte Observer.
![Clark's handlers called in advance to prepare the agents for his flight](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/26/14/61757195-11149365-image-m-15_1661521798478.jpg)
Clark’s handlers called in advance to prepare the agents for his flight
![Clark was hatched with deformities on his feet, so he joined the World Bird Sanctuary's Eagle Flight Team and is one of WBS' flying ambassadors](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/26/14/61757191-11149365-image-m-16_1661521832317.jpg)
Clark was hatched with deformities on his feet, so he joined the World Bird Sanctuary’s Eagle Flight Team and is one of WBS’ flying ambassadors
![In a video that has gotten thousands of views on Twitter, one person can be heard celebrating the bald eagle's presence by singing a cleaned up version of a song from the film Team America: World Police, humming 'America, heck yeah'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08/26/15/61757197-11149365-In_a_video_that_has_gotten_thousands_of_views_on_Twitter_one_per-m-9_1661525244458.jpg)
In a video that has gotten thousands of views on Twitter, one person can be heard celebrating the bald eagle’s presence by singing a cleaned up version of a song from the film Team America: World Police, humming ‘America, heck yeah’
Mark Howell, a spokesman for TSA Southeast, said this isn’t the strangest case of non-humans flying the friendly skies. He’s witnessed baby cougars, penguins, and even a ‘service chicken’ with dyed feathers.
For Clark’s trainer, Daniel Cone, it’s just another day at a security checkpoint.
He told ABC News: I’ve traveled with this eagle so many times I don’t even think twice about it anymore’.
Cone added that he and Clark don’t mind the attention, even saying ‘he’s a ham, he eats it up’.
The agents put Clark through the same screening process they take with all service animals before he was allowed to fly. Cone has a custom-made carrier for the bird that fits in the bulkhead of the cabin.
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