Flying With The Birds Can Be Hazardous To Your Health
Planes run into birds all the time. The problem is that sometimes the birds prove mightier than the planes.
Remember hearing about the US Airways plane that ditched in the Hudson River last January? Did you know what caused the plane to make an emergency landing in the river? The aircraft struck a flock of geese on takeoff from LaGuardia Airport.
Finding cheap fares and discount hotel rooms at your destination is a priority for most fliers these days. However, flying safe remains priority one. The following are some steps regulators and the airlines can take to cut the likelihood of airline accidents caused by birds:
Inform pilots not to take off into flocks of birds. They need to be trained on the hazards of birds. Currently no US airline has detailed guidelines for pilots as to when to delay a departure if birds are close by.
Provide pilots with detailed suggestions as to how to react once unexpectedly faced with a flock of birds.
Study the use of radar to track birds. Possibly weather radars already on planes could be used to look for birds, allows pilots to anticipate this hazard.
By flying at slower speeds, which reduces the amount of damage birds cause when they hit planes, and climbing or descending more steeply where birds are flying also reduces the likelihood of collision.
According to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) since the January Hudson River plane accident, the FAA has increased reporting bird strikes and is writing detailed requirements for how airports should deal with birds and other wildlife.