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When you are out flying on a nice day, taking a look around you at the bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds, the last thing you want to see is feathers. Bird strikes are an often unavoidable hazard and threaten even the most experienced pilot, as with the iconic "Miracle on the Hudson" landing by Captain "Sully" Sullenberger on Jan. 15, 2009 that forced an Airbus A320 to ditch on the Hudson River two minutes after takeoff. The FAA is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study how drones may be used to keep birds away from planes while taking off and landing.
While modern aviation brings about modern threats, like GPS spoofing and jamming, it is not immune to the threat that has been flying alongside pilots since the early days of flight - birds. The FAA said that this year the number of reported bird strikes is expected to reach an all-time high of about 17,500. The FAA and USDA drone testing will begin at the Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey by the end of 2024. The FAA plans to have an analysis of the testing and recommendations on the future use of drones to mitigate bird strikes by the end of 2025.
"We're doing all this for the safety of the flying public," said Wesley Major, an airport research specialist for the FAA. "Wildlife are always present around airports. We're always looking at emerging tools and technology that will benefit the flying public's safety."
Drones can be flown at targeted species or dispersed when the standard airport wildlife mitigation measures are insufficient. The drones can be used for surveillance in and around the airport to scout out burrows, nests/roosts and areas hard to access by foot or vehicle. The FAA is applying previous bird/habitat research gathered at off-airport locations by the USDA and Mississippi State University from 2022 to the latest testing at Atlantic City. The FAA and USDA have studied wildlife hazards together since the 1990s. The 2022 research also utilized drones to study wildlife and associated hazards, and how to potentially prevent nesting nearby or from crossing paths with the airport.
"Habitat, food and mating are the main drivers that attract species to a given area," Major said. "We need to limit those attractants in the airport environment."
Atlantic City has a prime testing environment as home to the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center overseeing the agency's bird strike research. The USDA has a full-time on-field presence and has gathered data there in the past. Atlantic City is also a favored habitat for turkey vultures, which are large fowl that can cause major damage if they collide with a plane.
"We want to make the habitat around Atlantic City Airport less attractive to this species," Major said. "There's a lot of green space for them to go in New Jersey. We just don't want them around the airport."
The USDA's certified pilots will be launching drones through all four seasons, during the day and night, at varying altitudes and weather conditions. The FAA and USDA will continue to coordinate testing and the Atlantic City Airpor will monitor air traffic control frequencies to ensure the drones are clear of the approach and departure paths. The USDA is operating the drone, an Autel EVO II quadcopter, on flights of up to 400 ft in altitude. The agency will be using other drones on an as-needed basis.
Bird strikes can be reported in the FAA Wildlife Strike Database. The database contains records of strikes since 1990 and reporting strikes is voluntary. Based on the voluntarily reported information, wildlife strikes are increasing in the U.S. and elsewhere. Between 1990 and 2022, about 272,000 wildlife strikes with civil aircraft were reported in the U.S., including 17,000 strikes at 693 U.S. airports in 2022 alone. With expanding wildlife populations and a drastic increase in aircraft traffic, the trend will continue to grow without new mitigation practices. About 95 percent of these strikes are caused by birds. Other wildlife data covers a range of animals, including cattle, pigs, dogs, skunks, coyotes and squirrels.RELATED STORIES:‘Miracle on Hudson' leads to new FAA rule on bird-strike testingFAA study shows UV LED lights could help prevent bird and aircraft collisions
Using drones can potentially supplement the existing wildlife-mitigation methods, including cap gun-style firearms that emit flare and noise, sound cannons to disperse birds and removing habitat elements that attract wildlife.
"We're looking at where wildlife is, what tools are at an airport's disposal to ward them off, and which are most effective," Major said. "A drone may not be the first tool at their disposal, but it will give you that extra reach that you may need."