ENGLISH GLOBAL LANGUAGE

Teacher Claudia Travensolo

LESSON 21
Aviation Words – Bird Strikes:
flock - scare - frighten - deter - damage - remove - poison - device - crack - engine failure –
suck into - take-off - landing - bird of prey - predator - habitat management - landfills – fences
radio equipped vehicles - bird distress calls - automatic gas explosions - natural aromatic repellents

a. Describe a bird strike incident you know of.

 I remember a case that happened in the USA, near La Guardia Airport some years
ago. An A320 ingested Canadian geese and suffered twin-engine failure, so the
aircraft lost most of its power. As a result, the captain had to ditch in the Hudson
River and all the passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft by the emergency exits
finding refuge on the wings while they waited for the rescue team.
 I know an incident that happened at the Flight School where I took my courses…

b. Why do birds inhabit airfield environments?

There are many birds inhabiting airfield environments because most airports are located
away from city centers, at remote areas, which is the natural habitat of birds. Moreover, due
to the city growth, the birds have been forced to migrate to remote areas, which is usually
where airports have already been built. Another simple reason is the fact birds are meant to
fly and since aircraft were manufactured, pilots have been sharing the airfield with them. In
Brazil, in special, there are landfills located near the airports, and these areas attract black
vultures, which are very dangerous birds that threaten the safety of the flights.

c. In relation to birds, what measures can airports take to ensure that take-off and
landing are safer?
 Airport authorities must monitor the airport areas using high-tech surveillance
techniques, such as cameras and vehicles to prevent flock of birds nearby airport
areas.
 Ground personnel need to be well trained to scare flock of birds from the airports, for
example, using automatic gas explosions, as well as through radio equipped vehicles,
which broadcast bird distress calls that scare the birds away from the airports while
aircraft are taking off and landing.
 ENGLISH GLOBAL LANGUAGE
Teacher Claudia Travensolo
 Airport authorities may also use a trained bird of prey, such as a hawk or eagle,
which is a natural predator that will be put at airports to frighten the birds and small
ground animals away from the airport. Alternatively, even, natural aromatic
repellents, which smell like birds of prey, should be used at airports in order to deter
birds at the airport areas.
 Moreover, airport authorities must ensure the grassy areas are kept short, clean and
cut in order to avoid birds building nests at these areas, as well as the presence of
insects, which may attract birds (natural predator in the food chain).
 City authorities should avoid installing landfills nearby airports since these areas
may attract black vultures that may endanger airport operations.

d. Which method do you think is most effective? Why?

The most effective method to reduce the risk posed by birds is providing an adequate habitat
management for them. I mean, city authorities together the airport authorities should build
parks or green areas where animals could naturally migrate or be taken to, and then
consequently they would live there safely, since they would be able to find food, water and
rest.

e. What sort of damage can bird strikes do to aircraft?

A bird strike may cause light to serious damage to an aircraft which may lead to abnormal
conditions, such damage the fuselage, dent the nose and leading edges of the wings, crack
the windshield, affect visibility, lead to a cabin depressurization, jam flight control surfaces,
etc.; on the other hand, a bird ingestion is a very hazardous situation to the safety of the
flight, because if the birds are sucked into the engines and probably it will lead to an engine
failure or even ignite fire on the engine; then pilots will need to perform an emergency
landing right after take-off, when the aircraft is heavy and engine thrust is mostly required,
or on the final approach and landing, which is also a critical phase of the flight.

Bird ingestions are very serious because they will lead to a loss of thrust, which may affect
the controllability of the aircraft, and pilots will need to perform an emergency landing at the
nearest suitable airport, or even at the nearest suitable area, such as fields, grassy areas,
rivers, and passengers can get injured and several damage to the aircraft may happen.
 ENGLISH GLOBAL LANGUAGE
Teacher Claudia Travensolo
Consequently, this aircraft will be grounded for maintenance; delays will affect the airline
company and airport operation as well.

f. Do you think bird-strike incidents will increase or decrease? Why?

I think bird-strike incidents will decrease in the future because aviation authorities, together
engineers, and researches may find better measures to detect flock of birds at distance, and
then controllers and pilots may take actions to avoid collisions against birds. Besides, city
authorities and organizations in defence of animals may develop strategies and areas to
protect the birds, as well as provide them a safe environment to inhabit.

Bird-strike incidents may increase as their natural environment has been destroyed due to
city growth. Unless new measures and technologies are developed to control and manage
flock of birds nearby airport areas, birds will keep on threating the safety of the flight.

g. What other animals are a nuisance at the airport?

There are several animals that are a nuisance / pose a threat to operations at the airport, such
as dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, guinea fowls (galinha d´angola), cows, horses, foxes, birds,
black vultures, etc.

Wild animals are a danger to aircraft because they can enter the runway and /or taxiway
when the aircraft are in operation/ movement. Therefore, they may hit against the aircraft,
damage the fuselage, wings, stuck or break the landing gear, dent the leading edges and the
nose, crack the windshield, and also be sucked into the engines, which may lead to an engine
failure or even engine fire. Basically, wild animals put the safety of the aircraft operation at
risk.