Sandusky scientists conduct research on how to keep birds from colliding with planes
July 25, 2009
Steven Lima, left, a biology professor at Indiana State University, prepares a model airplane for a flight over the research center grounds. Esteban Fernandez-Juricic, an associate professor of biology at Purdue University, holds the wings before a test run past a flock of geese. A remote-controlled model airplane repeatedly buzzed four Canada geese at a rural airstrip early Friday morning, resulting in much honking.But don’t blame the ruffled feathers on a misguided hobbyist. The man with his hand on the joystick was biology professor Steven Lima and the harassment of the geese was done in the name of science, to prevent birds from colliding with real planes.
“It would be great if the birds were terrified and got out of the way,” said biologist Brad Blackwell. “But we’ve found the birds react differently, and some of them won’t get out of the way. They become habituated to the threat.”
The research is being conducted at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Wildlife Research Center, an hour’s drive west of Cleveland and the only federal facility in the country devoted to resolving conflicts between people and wildlife.
JA soaring turkey vulture, top, prepares to dive out of the path of a remote-controlled model airplane used by researchers at the National Wildlife Research Center near Sandusky. The scientists here said that after more than 20 years conducting avian research in relative obscurity, they found everything changed on Jan. 16. That’s when a flock of geese knocked out both engines of a commercial jetliner over New York City, forcing the pilot to ditch in the Hudson River to save the lives of all 155 passengers.Suddenly, the nation wanted to know about the dangers of bird strikes to aircraft and what measures the government was taking to prevent potential catastrophes.
“The ‘miracle on the Hudson’ really brought this facility into the national spotlight,” acknowledged Gail Keirn, a spokeswoman for the research center.
The biologists explained their latest discoveries in bird-strike deterrents for reporters and photographers on Friday.
The demonstration began on a grassland where barn swallows snatched insects and turkey vultures soared overhead.
A single-engine model plane, about a third the size of a Cessna and outfitted with bright, pulsating lights, took off from the dirt runway. Its mission: A flyover of penned geese — the same species that flew into the US Airways jet’s engines in January, and one of the most common participants in bird strikes.
A bank of six strategically arranged cameras recorded the birds’ reaction to the lights.
These geese honked and cowered in fear — the desired response.
“They don’t seem to have a death wish,” said Scott Philiben, vice president of Precise Flight Inc., of Bend, Ore., which is providing lighting expertise to the research team. “If they see a bright flashing light coming at them, they tend to move out of the way.”
Canada geese, right, honk in protest while being buzzed by a battery-powered plane outfitted with pulsating lights. Geese eyes are highly sensitive to the lights, which are used to alert the birds to approaching danger. The light experiments are only part of the research to help airports rid runways and flight paths of potential hazards. Biologists at the center have pioneered other dispersal techniques, including broadcasting bird distress calls, posting effigies of hawks and owls, and planting distasteful grasses.One of its latest studies involves figuring ways to deter bird-attracting earthworms from crawling onto runways after a rainfall. Researchers are comparing the effectiveness of chemicals and barriers.
Alaska and Australia report anecdotal success with the pulsating lights, Philiben said. Qantas Airlines jets equipped with the lights have experienced a 35 percent reduction in bird strikes.
In addition to improving safety, airlines could save millions of dollars. Bird strikes cause $600 million in damage a year. “There’s a huge economic and safety incentive for us to succeed,” Philiben said.
Blackwell said the research will continue for several more months, and the study will eventually include different species of birds. He hopes to publicize his findings in about a year and a half.