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Old 10th December 2005 | 11:48
  #45 (permalink)  
Centaurus
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Joined: Jun 2000
: ATP+Mil
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From: Australia
One thing for sure. Maintaining 250 knots below 10,000 ft goes a long way to improving your chances of surviving a big bird hit on the windscreen. In Australia and Pacific Islands, it is normal for jets to ignore the dangers of high speed bird strike risk and they will deliberately climb/descend at 300 knots + below 10,000 ft. I have seen 737's level at 1500 ft over the sea at 300 knots ignoring the sea gull hazard. A most courageous decision...

A bird strike on the windscreen at those speeds risks windscreen shatter and crew injuries. That is why on some jets it is SOP to limit speed to 250 knots below 10,000 ft with windscreen heat inoperative, in recognition of the potential disastrous consequences of high speed bird strike.
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