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In an attempt to prevent bird strikes, or birds flying into the engines of aircraft, Narita Airport has begun working with a professional falconer to conduct a series of tests.
Although such collisions can cause serious and even catastrophic accidents, no solution has yet been found to prevent such accidents from occurring.
Last year, there were 62 bird strikes at Narita airport, TBS reported Wednesday.
From Aug 11 to Aug 17, airport officials are working side by side with a professional falconer to conduct a series of tests. The falconer walks along the runway for two hours in the morning and late afternoon, with a hawk on his arm.
Airport officials said that so far, birds seemed to have been frightened away by the hawk, TBS reported.
Summer months are considered the "peak season" for bird strikes to occur.
© Japan Today
9 Comments
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Hide Suzuki
"Just put mesh screens over the engines' intake ports. Problem solved."
Thank you genius. Nobody ever thought of that before you anywhere in the world
Larry Fuji-San Frady
Mesh screens over existing engine designs would cause shedding vortices against the fan blades which would eventually cause them to fatigue and rupture. Great idea.
Probie
No. Mesh screens would block airflow- ever notice how windy it becomes when you open your window then open the amido too? The fluid dynamics of the changed airflow would probably damage the engine too. Both of these things are not good things to happen to airplanes.
Also, if they put mesh on it, any bird caught on it would probably either freeze to death when the plane gets to altitude; or suffocate due to not being able to breathe due to the air pressure.
CrazyJoe
The vast majority of bird strikes cause little damage. But even a single small bird has the potential to destroy a plane. Sucking a bird at 200 mph or more into a jet's spinning turbine can shatter turbine blades and create a chain reaction of destruction in the engine that ultimately knocks it out.
Novenachama
Airports have had the most success with minimizing bird strikes by modifying habitat, bird behavior and plane behavior. When all three methods are employed through various techniques it appears that the most positive results occurred. However, despite the best multiple deterrent methods and wildlife management, airplane bird strikes still happen. As airports become busier and schedule flights with greater frequency and alternative habitats continue to shrink, more and more birds seek refuge near airports thus causing potentially dangerous situations. Therefore airports must constantly be on the alert for other fliers in the skies. But in the future when new control and deterrent techniques are developed birds strikes will probably be minimized.
Duck of Wellington
I like to see people thinking outside the box. But I should think it would be much easier to make an R/C craft in the shape of a hawk and any fool could fly that.
cleo
I doubt the birds would agree with you....
MissingCylonModel
Word of the day
snarge (uncountable)
The remains of a bird after it has collided with an airplane (bird strike), especially a turbine engine.
JeffLee
Just put mesh screens over the engines' intake ports. Problem solved.