Birds and aircraft

Abstract

Birds have caused collision damage to aircraft and loss of human life for the past 60 years. Turbine-powered machines are more vulnerable to damage than those with piston engines. Higher speeds increase the damage. Habitat management, including reduction of available food, cover, and water, can decrease the attractiveness of airfields. Proper design can make airfield structures unusable by birds. Casual bird visitors can be driven from airfields by well-motivated, energetic people with equipment ranging from pyrotechnic devices to trained falcons. Birds aloft can be observed by radar; their movements can then be forecast and safer courses for aircraft described and used. Air traffic control personnel can be trained to use bird movement forecasts and real-time (i.e. directly observed) radar data on bird activity to guide aircraft to safer passage through the ‘feather curtain’. Costs of bird strikes can be reduced, as has been demonstrated over the past 10 years. Further improvements are possible and desirable.