Bird Strike Avoidance

In the early 1990’s float plane operators in the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia and Alaska began reporting that along with the improved recognition and increased lamp life, bird strikes were dramatically reduced by pulsing their landing and taxi lights.

Armed with this important information, Precise Flight approached the USDA to initiate avian testing with pulsing lights.

Biologists at the National Wildlife Research Center Sandusky, OH, field station have developed an experimental procedure to test the use of aircraft-mounted light as a potential technique to reduce birdstrikes.

Test groups of birds were exposed to the approach of a vehicle fitted with 2 aircraft landing lights spaced at 12 feet apart on top of the vehicle. The vehicle was driven at a consistent speed of 75miles/hour toward a flight cage immediately next to the road. Flock responses behaviors of brown-headed cowbirds, Canada geese, European starlings, herring gulls, and mourning doves were recorded by a video camera and then quantified.

Birds were exposed to various, no lights, pulsing lights, and steady lights. The biologists were able to show that birds exhibit earlier and more cohesive avoidance reactions to approaching vehicles in response to light and other external stimuli.

Responses to the vehicle differed markedly among species. Further, because of the effects of varying ambient light conditions on bird response to the approaching vehicle, the biologists suspect that contrast to background lighting is likely important to increasing avian awareness of approaching aircraft. The results indicate that birdstrikes may be reduced in the future by enhancing the visibility of aircraft. Additional research has been planned involving varying pulse frequencies and specific light wavelengths.

The studies found that 91 to 99 percent of birds “exhibited alert behavior” when exposed to incandescent pulsing lights.

The tests also showed that the pulsing lights were most effective in low-light conditions, such as cloudy days, nighttime, dusk and dawn.

WILDLIFE STRIKE REDUCTION

The use of the Pulselites® on the DHC8-300 fleet indicates that activation of pulsing lights in accordance with company standard operating procedures resulted in a reduction of wildlife strikes by approximately 50%.

The fleet was averaging approximately 3.65 strikes/aircraft/year prior to the evaluation and approximately 1.83 strikes/aircraft/year with Pulselites®. The results were so impressive the airline purchased the Pulselite® system for the entire DHC-8 fleet.
(Prepared for Sunstate Airlines/QantasLink by Peter Reardon Enterprises Pty Limited)

QANTAS SUCCESS STORIES

B737-400 group
Achieved a 54% (day and night) bird strike reduction rate per 1,000 departures, compared to a non-Pulselite® equipped B737-400 group.

Daylight only bird strike reduction rate was 30%.

B737-800 group
Achieved a 66% (day and night) bird strike reduction rate per 1,000 departures, compared to a non-Pulselite® equipped B737-800 group.

Daylight only bird strike reduction rate was 49%.

An averaged B737 reduction rate between approximately -10% and -35% with a pulsed or modulated light system operational has the ongoing potential to save a 100 aircraft Airlines approximately $2.5 to $8.9 million per year respectively.
(Pulselite® system B737 Operational Evaluation by Qantas Airlines)

Alaska Air Group is committed to the Pulselite system to decrease the incidence of bird strikes and to increase air-to-air conspicuity for other aircraft and ATC.

Alaska Airlines
Alaska commenced a fleet-wide fitment of Pulselite on their Boeing 737 series aircraft in 2010. The system was endorsed by their safety, maintenance & engineering groups, and the senior pilot corps. The cost analysis they performed exceeded their internal criteria warranting fleet-wide implementation. With a business case based on known operating/damage costs and a conservative 25 - 30% bird strike reduction proved by Qantas, Horizon, and USDA research, they successfully demonstrated to management the justification (a less than a 2 year ROI) for installing the system.

Horizon Air
Horizon initiated a fleet-wide fitment program on their Bombardier Q400 aircraft in 2008.

QANTASLINK-SUNSTATE
Achieved 35% bird strike reductions

QANTAS
Achieved 30% bird strike reductions

As a direct result of the successful trials at Qantas the following airlines are now using the Pulselite® system.
ALASKA AIRLINES
HORIZON AIR (Alaska air group)
AIR NELSON (Air New Zealand)
AIR PACIFIC
AIR VANUATU
JETCONNECT (Qantas New Zealand)
These airlines above are using Pulselite® to actively reduce the risk of bird strikes outside and inside of the airport zones (above 500 ft.).

Air New Zealand BBJs
Air Vanuatu 737s
Air Pacific 737s
Alaska Airlines 737s
JetConnect (Qantas New Zealand) 737s
Qantas 737s
Horizon Airlines DHC-8s
QantasLink/Sunstate DHC-8s
Air Nelson (Air New Zealand) DHC-8s
Voyager Airway DHC-8s
ERA Airlines DHC-8s
West Jet Airlines 737s
Royal Canadian Air Force DHC-8s
Kenmore Air DHC-6, DHC-2s
Singapore Flying College Lear 45s

Departure VS. Arrival

Approaching planes spend the most time in bird zones

	In Bird Zone (Below 3000 ft.)
Approach:	7.9 Nautical Miles
Departure:	1.5 Nautical Miles

(Most bird strikes happen outside the range of airport countermeasures.)

Flying in the Bird Zone

Only 5% of reported strikes with civil aircraft causing substantial damage above 3,500 ft. AGL.
Dolbeer's Rule: Above 500 ft. AGL, bird strikes decline by 32% every 1000 ft.

	500 ft.	3500 ft.	3500+ ft.
Day:	28,806 Bird Strikes 1,023 (3.6%) causing substantial damage	7,469 Bird Strikes 445 (6%) causing substantial damage	2,686 Bird Strikes 85 (3.2%) causing substantial damage

(Cleary, E.C., R.A. Dolbeer, and S.E. Wright, 2003. Wildlife strikes to civil aircraft in the United States, 1990-2002.)

Wildlife Strikes

The largest number of strikes occur in the approach phase of flight.

Takeoff Run	Climb	Descent	Approach	Landing Roll
9,931	9,000	1,816	18,883	8,532
18,931		29,231

(Wildlife strikes to civil aircraft in the United States 1990-2005)

NTSB Officer of Aviation Safety Report US Airways Flight 1549 Ditching on the Hudson River January 15, 2009 417K
Bird Strike Avoidance (downloadable of the above information) 5mb	Efficacy of aircraft landing lights in stimulating avoidance behavior in birds. Journal of Wildlife Management 68:725-732. 718K
Aviation's Bird Flu (by Geoffrey Thomas) Bird strikes are an ever-present danger ATW Magazine June 2009. 386K	National Transportation Safety Board Wildlife Factors Group Chairman Factual Report

NTSB Seeks on-Aircraft Birdstrike Solutions Posted in Birdstrike News on July 8th, 2009	Qantas Tackles Bird Strike Problems Posted in Birdstrike Research on July 27th, 2009
Bird Strike Committee USA	FAA Wildlife Strike Database
Pulselite® Videos	Bird Strike Research and Development Blog

Reduce the Likelihood of Bird strikes 95% of all bird strikes occur within a 12 mile radius of the airport. 30% of bird strikes that cause substantial damage occur above 500 ft. The airline industry has asked the question: Is there a means by which birds might better discern aircraft position and speed, so as to reduce collisions? We know vision is a primary and highly developed sensory pathway in birds, and recent work has shown that light can be an effective tool as a repellent and, potentially, as an alert. Bird strikes cost the airline industry internationally over $1.28 billion annually. What can be done to make your aircraft more visible to birds? The Pulselite system provides an answer: By making the aircraft more visible. Airlines that have outfitted the Pulselite System on their fleet have experienced a 20% to 30% reduction or more to their bird strike problem.

Bird Strike Facts: Bird strikes are equally likely to occur at night as they are during the day - up to 500 ft. above the runway. Bird strikes are 7.2 times more likely to occur at night compared to day between 500 and 3500 ft above the runway. Important Risk Considerations: Regional aircraft spend more time in the bird zone Regional airports have less resources for bird countermeasures Fewer technicians are at regional airports to support aircraft repairs/inspections Conditions worsen when flights move into dusk or night hours Conditions worsen on arrival and short flights Wildlife Strikes and Associated Costs: $467 million in estimated losses to commercial aviation in the U.S. per year (nearly $1 billion total per year for both civil and military aviation) 18,000 wildlife strikes annualy Average cost per aircraft is $68,000 (Based on FAA estimates from National Wildlife Strike Database.) (Serial Report #12, June 2006)

FAA AIRCRAFT MOUNTED LIGHT EVALUATION
February 2004

“...The Pulselites offered increased conspicuity estimated to be 1/2 to 3/4 mile over an aircraft holding in position with the landing lights on steady. Once observed, the motion of the reflected Pulselite off of the runway surface in front of the holding aircraft was pronounced”

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

Development and testing of techniques for increasing the conspicuity of motorcycles and motorcycle drivers (October 1979)
by P. L. Olson, R. Halstead-Nussloch, M. Sivak

• The results of the study indicate that daytime conspicuity can be significantly improved by: Causing the headlamp to modulate at a rate of about 3 hz.

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Alerting Lights on Locomotives

In a similar transportation analogy, the DOT required Railway Locomotives to be outfitted with pulsing ditch lights (like aircraft recognition lights) in 1995. The resulting documented improvements in railway grade crossing accidents has been outstanding.

• CalTrain – Accident reduction 76.4%
• Conrail – Accident reduction 74.3%
• Norfolk Southern – Accident reduction 54.6%

SUNSTATE/QANTASLINK TRIAL FINDINGS

78% of Air Traffic Controllers agreed that the Pulselite® enhanced aircraft visibility.

IMPROVED CONSPICUITY OF AIRCRAFT

Approximately 74% of the airline’s pilots who responded to the pilot survey believe that the Pulselite® system enhances their aircraft’s visibility.

ROCKHAMPTON TOWER

“Aircraft are easier to see.”

HAMILTON ISLAND TOWER

“Definitely easier to see particularly in hazy conditions.”

CAIRNS TOWER

“Definitely easier to see from the Tower.”

MACKAY TOWER

“We have found the aircraft a little easier to see at longer distances. RT chatter also supports this.”

(Prepared for Sunstate Airlines/QantasLink by Peter Reardon Enterprises Pty Limited)

PROVEN INCREASE IN LAMP LIFE

Smooth transitions between ‘dim’ and ‘bright’ mode reduces operation temperature of lamp filaments and eliminates constant electrical jolts and spikes of ‘on-off’ circuitry.

Incandescent lights are like car engines “For car engines the engine wear is maximum at initial turn on, and wear increases if we run the engine at maximum performance. Your car engine will last longer if you run it at a normal cruise speed. Similarly, an incandescent filament has its highest potential for damage when the light is turned on from cold and is run at maximum filament temperature. Pulsing the light allows the filament to run at approximately 70% of normal filament output and only allows the filament to cool to a 15% output state before rising again. Reduced average voltage on the lamp is key to long lamp life just as reduced speeds on your car are key to it’s longevity.”
-Scott Philiben, VP of Engineering, Precise Flight

SUNSTATE/QANTASLINK TRIAL FINDINGS

The average lamp life for the Pulselite equipped aircraft was approximately 1860 hours compared to approximately 630 hours for the non-Pulselite aircraft, i.e. the Pulselite system extended the lamp life by a factor of three (3).

Applying trend analysis to the factual data collected indicates that the Pulselite equipped DHC8-300 fleet may experience extended lamp life in the range of approximately 800 hours to 3,000 hours, or more while the non-Pulselite fleet may expect to continue an average of approximately 600 hours for their lamp life. (Prepared for Sunstate Airlines/QantasLink by Peter Reardon Enterprises Pty Limited)