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CEDAR CITY, Utah (AP) -- The Cedar City Regional Airport is conducting a wildlife hazard assessment as part of a yearlong ecological study that examines the potential for planes to hit birds and other animals at an airport.
Funding for the study comes from the federal stimulus act. To help with the study, Cedar City is using avian radar to supplement the examination of wildlife in the area. The Spectrum of St. George reports the use of avian radar provides an opportunity to allow observation to occur around the clock.
This is a very progressive airport in Cedar City. We came down here with their interest and support.
–Steve Osmek
It also has the ability to expand spatial coverage in both distance and altitude, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
"This is a very progressive airport in Cedar City," said Steve Osmek, senior wildlife biologist for the Seattle-Tacoma International airport, which is helping with the study. "We came down here with their interest and support."
Cedar City's airport began its study in September. It will conclude in September 2011 and potentially could be mandated by the FAA as a Wildlife Hazard Management Plan for airports throughout the country to model.
"Bird strikes happen most often, about 93 to 95 percent of the time, during takeoff or landing, or during low altitude flight," said Edwin Herricks, a federal consultant and professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
"Avian Advertisement radar does a good job of detecting birds. It is highly portable, takes 15 minutes to set up and can work all day with a generator."
The FAA reported an estimated 65,000 bird strikes to civil aircraft in the United States from 1990 to 2005, or about one for every 10,000 flights. It also estimates the bird strike problem costs U.S. aviation $600 million annually and has resulted in more than 200 worldwide deaths since 1988.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
