Out here at DIA, they already use loudspeakers and dummy preditory birds and bird calls. We have very few trees, (DIA is out on the eastern plains of Colorado), and there are cyotes a'plenty who chase birds totally for free. And we still have bird strikes. The Onathologist (SP) for DIA, who is prior service AF Fighter Pilot and who has studied birds and behavior for years, was interviewed the other day and stated that you could cut down every tree, spend billions in sound systems, and pyrotechnics every year, and you'll still have bird strikes. It's just a fact of nature. What we try to do is to minimize the chances, but as long as birds and aircraft share the same airspace, you are going to have a chance of a bird strike, no matter what you do.
On a side note, in 2002, while still on Active after 9-11, we actually had an F-16 that had a Coyote Strike on landing. The nose gear caught the little guy in his mid section and cut him clean in two. I was amazed he didn't FOD out the engine.
No matter what though, that was still a Damned beautiful piece of flying, getting that puppy into a river and not loosing a single soul.
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Slow is Fast, Fast is Slow
Violence may not be the best option, but it IS an option
