Aircraft and Birds: Navigating the Skies Safely

When it comes to aircraft flying through the vast expanse of the atmosphere, one common question that often arises is how do these flying machines avoid hitting birds. Do they have to change their course, or can they fly through them without posing any danger to the plane? This article aims to provide insight into these concerns.

Understanding the Context

In general, the atmosphere, especially the usable part, is vast compared to the size of birds. Most aircraft fly in altitudes where birds are less likely to be present. However, at lower altitudes, birds can pose a significant threat. If a bird is unable to avoid the aircraft, it can potentially cause serious mechanical damage and even inflict harm on the pilot in extreme cases.

One personal experience offers a glimpse into such an incident. On a commercial flight, while the aircraft was coming in for landing with the landing gear down and the runway in sight, a few birds were ingested into the engine. The pilot had a good view of the sparks and such that occurred. There was a minor “thump” and hitch, but it went largely unnoticed by the passengers. The crew handled the situation professionally and took a brief delay before arriving at the gate.

How Birds Navigate Around Aircraft

Birds have a natural instinct to avoid aircraft, and they are experts in the overlapping fields of flight and survival. They usually dive away to avoid being hit. However, in certain scenarios, such as during takeoff and landing phases, aircraft are at a lower altitude and airspeed, which can give birds a fighting chance to evade.

In a famous incident known as the "Miracle on the Hudson," Captain Chesley Sullenberger had to deal with a flock of geese colliding with his airplane. This was a rare and dangerous situation because geese, being a considerably larger bird (about 8 pounds), pose a significant risk to the engine. Given Sullenberger's situation, with low altitude and airspeed, and a smaller engine, the ingested geese had enough mass to cause significant damage. However, in most widebody aircraft with larger engines, the geese would have been easily disintegrated without any major issues.

Common Encounters and Their Implications

Birds generally get out of the way. If an aircraft crashes into a bird, it is usually an uneventful scenario. However, the size of the bird matters. Larger birds, such as geese, can cause substantial damage to the aircraft. This is similar to hitting larger animals (like deer) while driving a car. Smaller birds, like rabbits, are less likely to cause such significant damage.

While the majority of bird strikes do not result in severe damage or incidents, pilots undergo extensive training to manage these situations. Aircraft are designed with redundancy and multiple systems to ensure safety even in the presence of bird strikes. Pilots also have specific protocols in place to handle such occurrences, ensuring that the safety of the passengers and crew remains the top priority.

In conclusion, while birds can pose a risk to aircraft, particularly during the takeoff and landing phases, the vast majority of the time, birds manage to avoid these larger flying machines. Aircraft are built and operated with significant measures to ensure the safety of passengers and crews, making these incidents relatively rare and manageable.