Post-Webinar Discussion Blog: Effective Airport-Airline Partnerships for Birdstrike Prevention
Thu, Mar 4, 2010
This Blog section has been set up for attendees of the March 4, 2010 Aviation Week Webinar, Effective Airport-Airline Partnerships for Birdstrike Prevention,to post questions and comments to the speakers and on the bird-aircraft strike avoidance topic. If you have a question or comment, enter it under “Leave a Reply” and a Webinar moderator or speaker will respond. If you prefer to make your comment private, you can also email the Webinar Moderator at webinar@birdradar.com
To register to attend Today’s Webinar (Thursday, March 4, 2010, 2:00 – 3:00 pm US Eastern Standard Time), see http://www.aviationweek.com/events/webinars/birdstrike10.htm
Tags: 1549, aircraft, airport, avian, aviation, bird, bird strike, birdstrike, birdstrikes, radar, strikes
What commercial airports use bird radars operationally for pilot advisories?
MODERATOR RESPONSE: Currently, there is only one commercial airport using a bird radar to provide rela-time pilot advisories – the La Mercy Airport in South Africa. Bird radars are used at other airports but only to support bird control activities at this time. The USAF does have several systems that use the bird radar information for pilot advisories in real-time.
After listening to the discussion, it is not clear who exactly is responsible for bird control at airports … for such a serious safety issue it seems to be very loosely regulated?
ANSWER: 14 CFR Part 139.337 clearly puts the requirement for bird and wildlife control on the airport. Oversight of the program is carried out through annual certification inspection. Depending on the inspector, this could be a high interest item, or not. Again, without a reliable strike record, we don’t know if an airport is really having issues.
Mr Morrell talked about the need to apply Safety Management System principles in the US and commented that SMS was in its ‘infancy’ in the US. Exactly what is SMS and why is the US behind in this. Also, who is in the lead?
ANSWER: SMS is a systematic and comprehensive process for the management of safety risk that integrates technical and operations systems. SMS is proactive, predictive and data driven in nature. It allows the organization to take action to eliminate systematic errors and non conformities (corrective or preventive). In addition it allows us to control the processes and tasks and ensure continuous improvement. US is developing a proposed rule and conducting a pilot project to identify best practice SMS implementation guidance. Most major US airlines are in the process of implementing an SMS. Canada is the leader in SMS implementation, followed by Europe.
Are airports aware of the US Air Force AHAS system?
ANSWER: Most airports do not know about the Avian Hazard Advisory System or AHAS. This system was developed for the US Air Force to provide regional risk assessment for low-level training airspace (routes, ranges, operating areas). AHAS has a historical component (the Bird Avoidance Model or BAM) and an active component that uses returns from the nation-wide system of weather radars (NEXRAD) to provide relative risk assessment for published airspace. This system updates approximately every 6-10 minutes and has large scale resolution (1km2). Subsequently it is not often used as part of airfield risk assessment. Slow update, low-resolution, and finally the fact that the NEXRAD beam is often above the airfield by hundreds of feet make the system less than optimum for providing bird strike risk at airports. While helpful in understanding the general level of bird activity in the region, it will not identify the 50 geese that are wondering around the infield.
What can an airport do when there is a nationally protected bird or refuge area located near the facility?
ANSWER: There are many US airports that are located near national or state wildlife refuges. The management objectives of these areas are naturally in conflict with bird and wildlife management at the airport. The first step is finding objective data to quantify the associated risk. Maps, pictures of birds moving to and from the refuge over the airport, radar data, all provide the necessary evidence that the land use may be incompatible with safe aviation. A formal letter of concern from the airport to the appropriate state or federal agency provides the basis for future discussions and action if necessary. Most refuge managers don’t want to be responsible for a major aircraft accident, but then many of them don’t realize the nature of the problem. Negotiations often end up in court battles that cost thousands of dollars and rarely result in satisfactory outcomes for either party. But the initial letter can provide the necessary “get out of jail free” card if/when a serious event occurs. At least you can say “I told you so!”
Is it likely that bird activity on or near a runway, identified by radar or any other means, would result in aircraft holding for departure or delayed for arrival?
ANSWER: There are several ways severe bird or wildlife activity can delay flight operations. These delays, in fact, do occur at airports across the US frequently. Airport Operations staff, (or their contractors/USDA Wildlife Services) can temporarily “close a surface” to disperse wildlife. This is done through the air traffic control tower, but it is the airport’s call. Air carrier representatives have consistently agreed to short delays when serious conditions exist on the airport. The difficulty in providing advisories and/or delays is finding a consistent methodology by which risk can be assessed. Visual observations are quite variable. Operations staff are not always on the airfield, the tower is not constantly scanning the runways and taxiways for birds, and at night none of that even matters. The integration of remote sensing technology such as bird detection radar will greatly assist in making the call during the day and may be the only input for night operations.
Since bird strike reporting is voluntary and a triggering strike event may not be recorded, should all airports be required to have a wildlife hazard assessment?
ANSWER: We think so, and I think most consultants and government officials also agree. The FAA has gone a long way recently to find ways to assist airports in conducting assessments and getting management plans in place. Some work needs to be done with federal guidelines on what to do when a new event occurs. Currently the airport is guided towards conducting another wildlife hazard assessment, when a more abbreviated investigation may be sufficient.
Should bird and other wildlife strike reports be mandatory?
ANSWER: The FAA stated in their January report on bird strike issues, that the current reporting rate is around 40%, and that level of reporting is statistically sufficient for development of national trends and development of policy. While that is true, 40% reporting may mean some airports are not reporting at all and some are reporting 80% or more. Strike reports are crucial in assisting airports resolve bird and wildlife issues. As long as they are voluntary, some airports will not report. Also, many in the aviation community suggest that if the FAA was really worried about this issue they would require strike reports.
bird striking is the major problem and sometimes can cause the big problems..which should be avoided …such things need to be solved and such discussions can bring out the possible solutions…
Is there special equipment designed to repel Black kite out of the airport area?
MODERATOR ANSWER: The LRAD could be an option for you. See http://www.detect-inc.com/other.html