FAA PERSPECTIVE ON FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TO REDUCE THE BIRD STRIKE THREAT

As bird strike risks keep increasing, the FAA is actively sponsoring research to minimize these risks. Bird strike risk reduction falls under the area of wildlife mitigation research. In this endeavor, FAA Research and Development faces challenges of budgetary and technical nature. From the budgetary standpoint, R&D funds were until recently very limited and the FAA could not carry out a comprehensive program in this area. Although still under funded, the wildlife mitigation R&D allocation has steadily improved and plans can now be made for the future. At the technical level, the areas of research for bird strike risks reductions are very broad and diverse. The FAA must be very careful in its investment for the future. In its wildlife mitigation research plans, the FAA will maintain a balanced program between competing areas of research, plan and undertake a comprehensive and integrated research program, and leverage its research funds by entering partnerships with other agencies, institutions, and nations. Specifically, the plans are to: 1. Continue to sponsor traditional R&D in wildlife management at airports. These include grass height management studies, use of chemical repellents, various bird dispersion techniques, and land-use strategies, 2. Investigate the development and deployment of real-time detection techniques at airports, 3. Support the development of a National Advisory Bird Strike System to be used in real-time by commercial and general aviation