bird strike
past/current techniques
guns (blanks). sound to scare birds
dogs, pigs to scare birds
disrupting nesting cycles
grounds people to keep an eye out
lights on planes, relying on birds to see and go away with normal lights
post bird strike
test for type of bird
record all details of the aircraft, time, weather
record details
effectiveness
not very
doesn't target specific birds
mostly uses scare tactics, not humane
disrupts nature and the natural cycle
dangers of bird strike
engine failure
wind shear
wing damage
resources
decimating bird population, although bird strike does not often cause immediate risk to aircraft, birds rarely survive. with the amount of aircraft in the sky increasing and birds being forced out of their natural habitats, it will have more of an effect on the population
making airports less desirable places for birds to nest
for Australia, 8 out of 10,000 flights incur bird strike. although not often fatal for the aircraft, it is for the bird.
common conditions of bird strike
low altitude, around 2500 ft
the higher the altitude, the lesser the strikes but the more damaging they become. a bird strike at 2000ft may not damage the aircraft whereas a strike above 6500ft has a higher likelihood of causing total engine failure.
proximity to airports
seasons - birdstrikes more commonly occur during summer for both hemispheres. this is commonly when young birds 'fly the nest' and there is more wildlife to be aware of.
for Australia however, bird strike is more common through late February, march, april and early may.
study with qantas, pulsing lights were installed on ten of their aircraft and tested over a period of 12-24 months. bird strike reduced by 54% and 66%.
16,000 cases of bird strike were recorded in australia between 2008 and 2017.
jet engines are particularly susceptible to bird strike
bird strike testing - strike simulator
sometimes uses real birds for testing?? that or fake gelatine birds