Preventing avian-aviation collisions

Bangalore: After eight to ten years of intensive research, DRDO scientists here have designed a micro air vehicle (MAV), that would resemble the winged vertebrates, which would frighten birds and free the skies over air ports and airforce bases after they are launched midair. It will, however, take a few more years before the MAVs take off since the DRDO is looking for funding.
Developed as an offshoot of the National Programme for MAVs (NP-MICAV), the project envisages an intelligent, unmanned MAV which holds the promise of greatly benefiting aviation firms who, over the years, have suffered loss worth crores because of bird hits which pose a persistent hazard for planes. Increasing urbanisation around airfields is one of the prime reasons why birds get attracted to such sites and, in the process, cause accidents that have sometimes proved to be costly
— financially and fatally. In 2009 alone, the aviation companies suffered a loss of Rs 7 crore incurred because of damage caused to aircraft by 241 bird hits (up to October).
Claiming that scientists were in the process of developing a programme that would help the unmanned vehicle achieve its goal, NP-MICAV CEO K Ramachandra told Deccan Herald that an “intelligent MAV with stored data on the general behaviour of birds will perform three roles — flash high-frequency stroboscopic lights, emit loud, recorded bird distress signals and release smoke or gas”. These would be sufficient to clear the skies over airports of bothersome birds.
03/09/10 Chethan Kumar/Deccan Herald

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Categories: airports Sep 2010, Safety Sep 2010