Cadets work to decrease bird strikes

Posted 2/15/2013   Updated 2/15/2013    

by Ray Bowden

Air Force Academy Public Affairs

2/15/2013 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- A group of Academy cadets is working to put a dent in bird strikes, directly linked to the deaths of 250 people in 25 years and the cause of more than $700 million in damage to U.S. and military-owned aircraft annually.

"The impetus behind this capstone course is the devastating cost of damage to aircraft from bird strikes," said systems engineering management major Cadet 1st Class Dan Gieck.

Specifically, the group of nine cadets is testing to see if aircraft noise, Canada geese distress calls and flashing landing lights will scare away a type of wild goose that can weigh as much as 18 pounds, effectively turning into a feathery cannonball when struck by an aircraft. The working name of the cadet's system is the Airborne BirdStrike Countermeasure."

"A bird strike is when an aircraft and any type of avian species collide," said Capstone Director Capt. Jeffrey Newcamp. "It can cause aircraft structural damage, you can have a bird ingested into an engine, or it can be just a glancing blow. Bird strikes can end in an incident in which case you can land your aircraft, or in an accident in which case there could be major damage or loss of life."

In particular, Canada geese pose a huge problem for pilots: anyone questioning this need only recall the story of Academy graduate and retired U.S. Airways Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, III., Newcamp said.

On Jan. 15, 2009, Sullenberger was piloting an Airbus 320 from New York's LaGuardia Airport when his plane struck a large flock of Canada geese shortly after takeoff.

"He hit a flock of Canada geese and the bird strike dropped both engines off line," Newcamp said.

Sullenberger landed his Airbus in the Hudson River after realizing it would be impossible to land at another airport and saved the lives of all passengers aboard.

The Sullenberger saga serves as the cadets' case study and as the inspiration for the project, Newcamp said.

The test is part of a two-semester capstone design course scheduled to run through April, sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory. The testing will take place in two locations on the Academy and in Monument.

"The testing will include a sound element that simulates Airbus 320 (passenger jet) engine noise, and another sound that simulates Canada geese distress calls," Gieck said. "The other element included in the testing is landing lights from an Airbus 320. The Airbus 320 sound and landing lights simulate an actual approaching aircraft." 

Read more:  http://www.usafa.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123336618