USMCFLYR

BBC News - 10 ways to prevent plane bird strikes

I spend a lot of time down low and my organization has quite a few bird strikes. I've been lucky so far, but this article holds special interest for me.

iceman49

Think the most effective is number 6, 2 bird strikes this year

http://www.birdstrike.ca/birdstrike-.../faa-factsheet

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aer...les/2011_q3/4/

FamilyATM

I'm not sure that the actual rate of bird strikes is any greater today than it was in 1990 but I do know first hand that pilots report bird strikes more now than they did in 1990. I know at my airline in 1990 we would make a maintenance write-up and fill out a long hand form and comat it to flight safety. I would say the success of that program was about 50/50 at best. Captains and mechs would instead do a verbal debrief and the mech would go check it out and if nothing was broken, clean the mess up and no paperwork was filed. Then in the late 90's the FAA and the company started pressing operators for better data collection. In the earlier part of 2000 we went to a very primitive online reporting system. Now decades later and after going through LOSA's, having ASAP and FOQA the pilots resistive nature to paperwork and forms has been beaten out of them. Also the FAA and airlines have greatly improved the online filing process thus improving data collection compliance. My take on this, same amount of birds just more reports making it look like a rate increase. Hell, Wilbur had a bird strike in 1904 and just didn't fill out the paperwork.

Capt Claret

On my previous type, five years on the BAe146, the folks in Ops called me a chick magnet because of the number if bird strikes I had.

After seven years on the 717, flying the same routes, at similar times, I've had less than half a dozen. I'd love to know what the difference is.

9GulfTango

Maybe they couldnt hear you coming in the 146?

Aviator89

the bird population has increased 2x in the past 10 years I was told. Something about reduction in air and water pollution helped reproduction and migration... Anyway I got 10 total. All small birds, but have dodge some Seagulls and geese many times. Would love to see someone shooting them full time at the airport. Heck, I'd take that job!

JamesNoBrakes

Seems irrefutable.

We definitely need to address bird strikes though...

dustrpilot

I hit them a lot. The one sitting on tree limbs are the ones that bother me the most.

USMCFLYR

Airplane Bird Strike Reports Soar - Video on NBCNews.com

NBC news story around the anniversary of the most famous bird strike!

USMCFLYR

Additional article with the HUD footage of a bird induced engine failure / ejection.

Aircraft safety: Strike out! | The Economist