Wx Radar and Pulselite Bird avoidance

[Mach trim]

How does wx radar help in bird avoidance ?

I am interested in opinions on the subject of having the wx radar on and avoiding birds.

Also does anyone have the pulselite landing light system installed in their A-320 in Europe. Is the pulselite system approved in Europe on the A-320


Or if they could PM me. Many thanks in advance.

[TenAndie]

Well i would say that weather radar wouldnt be much use for the simple fact the majority of bird strikes happen at 0-500ft. If a bird flies into your engine after take off there isnt much a wx radar is going to do. I have not seen many birds flying up at 35,000ft ??

[esreverlluf]

Despite the common belief that weather radar somehow reduces the incidence of birdstrike, I would say that it is pure bullsh*t.

Perhaps would be one for "Mythbusters" to take on.

As far as altitudes attained by birds - some of the larger raptor species are known to achieve about 30 000', just what they were planning to do up there is unclear . . .

As far as the pulselite goes - I'm sorry, I haven't a clue.

[Mach trim]

TenAndie,

The technique is you turn on the wx radar as you line up for TO, I have reports from pilots that have seen birds move away as you turn the wx radar on.

Also I have flown with some very experienced Captains that turn the wx radar on always at low levels with possible birds in the area. Espeicially TO and Landing.

Others say it is hogwash.

I am interested in getting some facts.

[psy clops]

Just to put a different slant on it, we're normally below 500 ft with a pretty big radar in the nose - and we hit our fair share of birds (perhaps one every 18 mts or so?? I’ll have a dig thro’ my logbooks). I'm pretty sure that if you compare our birdstrike stats to those types who operate in the same environment without radar (Harrier, Jag and Hawk for example), they are quite similar.

Then again perhaps it's just weather radar they don't like!

Psy

[oldebloke]

I understand that the USAF had proven ,with the bird strike bill to pay for C5 damage,that Radar doesn't effect birds at all..
Cheers

[chapola]

Any birds on line here that can enlighten us? Maybe it does, maybe not. No harm turning it on just in case. A blood hound's sense of smell is 100 000 times more sensitive than a human's; point being that animals have very different sensory systems and we really don’t know what they are capable of sensing. Wonder if a bat would react to radar?

[alatriste]

Mach Trim: Check the thread " repelling the birds" OCT 04 in this forum.

VERY VERY INTERESTING.

[Old Smokey]

I have experimented with the myth over thirty-something years, and found that it doesn't make a jot of difference to the birds whether the radar be turned ON or OFF.

I believe that the origins of birds aversity to radar goes back to WWII when birds nesting on the (stationary) very high energy RDF transmitters in Eastern England were promptly microwaved on the spot. A bit hard for them to nest on the later rotating ground radar transmitters.

Every myth has it's origins, maybe this is one of them, maybe it's not...............

Regards,

Old Smokey

[Canuckbirdstrike]

Well once again the urban legend of turning on the weather radar to scare away birds has been raised.......

No truth to this at all. The frequency of the transmission and the low power level make it undetectable by birds, but if it makes you feel good - turn on the radar.

As for pulse lights, the Canadian Transportation Development Centre (TDC) did a study back in the early 90's on this issue and found there was no measurable response by birds to lights being pulsed at them. They measured physiological functions and monitored for fear responses and nothing occurred. Based on this the TDC concluded that this technology was ineffective and stopped further research.

Pulse lights may offer benefits by increasing aircraft visibility, but only to other pilots!