Avian Flight Data Inform Aircraft Safety Plans
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 - 04:40
in Physics & Chemistry
Birds are a significant threat to aviation safety, particularly for small civilian aircraft and at local and regional airports. Large species are particularly problematic because they are heavy, have a limited ability to maneuver away from oncoming aircraft, and aggregate in flocks. Bird-plane collisions have consistently been a problem at U.S. Air Force (USAF) bases, where they not only place pilots in danger, but also cost the military--and the U.S. taxpayers--substantial amounts of money in damages. read more