Bird strikes are a common issue in aviation, with over 11,000 reported incidents in the U.S. in 2013 alone.
Despite their agility and ability to see aircraft from a distance, birds only react to perceived threats when an object is within approximately 100 feet.
At typical aircraft speeds (above 60 knots), this 100-foot reaction distance is too short for birds to effectively maneuver out of the way, leading to collisions.
This delayed reaction is an evolutionary quirk, and pilots are advised to avoid flying under birds (as they tend to dive) and take evasive action if there's enough time.
I read a startling statistic recently. In 2013, there were more than 11,000 reported bird strike incidents among commercial, military and general aviation airplanes in the United States.
That’s a lot of birds hitting a lot of aircraft. And now researchers think they know why bird strikes are so common in aviation.
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