FedExBusBoy

Does turning the radar on really deter birds????

Talk amongst yourselves.............

And if it does....show us concrete proof via link

Beertini

I talk amongst myself all the time. No one answers.

Freightbird

There was a study initiated by Rockwell years ago on this subject. Tomorrow I will search it out. The basis was emitting energy from the source (aircraft) made the fowl divert. Makes sense to me, especially if they're bats........

brownwhalerider

Actually saw it work. In the Rj days taxied onto the runway in MKE, there were around 20 birds on the runway. As soon as I turned on the radar they all scattered, maybee it was nothing but it seemed to work.

Bloodhound

If by "birds," you mean "sperm" ... then yes. Proof? Ask my wife or call my doctor.

MD11Fr8Dog

via Google

http://www.tc.gc.ca/civilaviation/Ae.../Chapter14.htm

Rama

It didn't deter the duck we sucked into #4 during take off roll in Amsterdam.

FDXLAG

Maybe the duck was depressed.

Pilot_135

I don't have evidence of it being true, but I do have evidence of it NOT being true. I have had about 8 birdstrikes, half of them on or near the nose/radome. Still waiting for the repair cost on my last one that 1, scared the **** out of the copilot, and 2, left a HUGE dent in the sheetmetal and broke the spar unterneath. I'll send pics when I get them back.
Somehow I don't believe in that theory.

ryane946

RADAR is an acronym for RAdio Detection And Ranging. Radar is basically a radio frequency that is shot through the sky, bounces off a target, and travels back to where it started from. Just like the radio you can tune in your car, radar is emitted on certain frequencies.

Car radios are from 88MHz to 108MHz, ATC radio is from 118MHz to 136MHz. ATC radar for ARTCC's is from 1 to 2 GHz. Some other things in that range include older cordless phones (900MHz), somewhat new cordless phones (2.4GHz), wireless internet routers (2.4GHz), etc...

Humans can hear from 50hertz to a max of 20KHz (20KHz ceiling decreases with age and loud noise exposure). Dogs can hear on higher frequencies. That is why we can blow a dog whistle, and while humans can't hear it, dogs can. Bats can hear the highest of land animals(As far as I know at 60-70KHz) Birds are pretty much on the same frequencies that humans hear. The can hear from about 50hertz to as high as 29KHz. However, this is no where near radar frequencies of 1-2GHz. So the answer to your question is no, radar does not deter birds, at least no more than radio, cordless phones, walkie talkies, or wireless routers.

Now whales can hear anything from 16hertz up to 200KHz. There is a type of frequency that interferes with their hearing called SONAR (SOund Navigation And Ranging). Sonar is most often used on a 192/200KHz frequency (right on the upper edge of whale hearing!). This is generally used because of less interference and can identify targets closer together. There is a sonar that operates at 50KHz (better for deeper depths, more interference), and this interferes with whale hearing, and may deter them.

Ok, sorry for the rant. I am a big radio guy (several of my professional electives in college were about radio). The answer to the question is definately not, radar does not deter birds.
Myth Busted!!!