Soaring with Eagles: Birdstrike Analysis in the Design and Operation of New Airplanes

• Published in: SAE International journal of aerospace Vol. 6; no. 2; pp. 591 - 597
• Main Authors: Dalton, John C, Nicholson, Roger
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Warrendale SAE International 17.09.2013; SAE International, a Pennsylvania Not-for Profit
• Subjects: Air safety; Aircraft engines; Aviation; Bird impact; Bypass ratio; Civil aviation; Commercial aircraft
• ISSN: 1946-3855; 1946-3901; 1946-3901
• DOI: 10.4271/2013-01-2234

We live in an era of increasing twin-engine commercial airplane operations, with large and very quiet high bypass ratio engines. At the same time, due to several decades of increased attention to the environment, we have large and increasing hazardous species bird populations. These trends, when combined, are not a prescription for continued assurance of a remarkable and enviable safety record for commercial aviation. Therefore, greater diligence must be placed on the evaluation of the current and future aviation wildlife hazard. We have some new weapons in this fight for greater capability to live with this situation. The basic problem is that different databases are populated independently from one another and often contain conflicting, contradictory, and erroneous data. Databases that were used individually, but not necessarily combined, are being utilized in a conjoined methodology to give us a better picture of the actual risk involved. And new analytical techniques are being applied that will enable us to better visualize and evaluate the nature of the wildlife threat. This paper will attempt to dispel some of the myths and misconceptions about bird behavior and bird strike capability and to shed light on new and improved approaches to maintaining safer skies for the commercial aviation passenger.