FAA Researching UV LED Lights for Prevention of Increasing Bird Strikes

The UV LED light the FAA is testing is housed in traditional aircraft landing lights and is compatible with older aircraft.

Kimberly Johnson

Tuesday, September 27, 2022 at 04:42 PM ET

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According to the FAA, research indicates that mounting a UV LED light on landing gear on the exterior of the aircraft could potentially stop bird strikes before they occur. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Bird strikes are a growing and costly problem for aviation, increasing by 33 percent recently and causing hundreds of millions in losses, aircraft damage, and fatalities.
The FAA has spent decades researching solutions and found that a pulsing ultraviolet (UV) LED light, installed in aircraft landing lights, shows promise as a bird deterrent.
Initial tests with a crop-dusting pilot demonstrated that birds actively moved away from the aircraft when the UV LED light was illuminated.
Further research and testing are ongoing to validate the effectiveness of this UV LED technology for wider adoption in general aviation and agricultural aircraft.

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Bird strikes are up by as much as 33 percent in recent years. Could an ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diode (LED) installed on general aviation aircraft help prevent dangerous bird strikes? According to the FAA, research indicates that mounting a pulsing UV LED light housed in a traditional landing light on the exterior of the aircraft could alert birds of the aircraft’s position, potentially stopping bird strikes before they have an opportunity to occur.

Bird and wildlife strikes are expensive and potentially deadly for GA and commercial aircraft. Between 1988 and 2021, wildlife strikes were responsible for killing more than 301 people and destroying about 300 aircraft, according to the FAA.